Britain pledges to write off Sudan’s debts after peace deal, FM says

KHARTOUM, Jan 28 (AFP) — Britain has pledged to write off debts owed by Sudan when Khartoum reaches a final peace accord with the main southern rebel movement, Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail said.

Ismail said in the official Al-Anbaa daily that the pledge was made in a message British Prime Minister Tony Blair sent to President Omar al-Beshir.

Blair congratulated Beshir on the progress made at peace talks in Naivasha, Kenya and said his government was willing to contribute to a settlement by cancelling Sudan’s debts after a peace deal is signed, Ismail said.

He did not specify how much Sudan owed Britain.

The foreign minister said his delegation would return to the negotiating table February 17 “in a stronger determination to conclude the agreement, regardless of remarks by some members of the (rebel) movement’s delegation.”

Al-Anbaa said members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army delegation had asked for the negotiations to continue during next week’s Muslim holidays of Eid al-Adha that mark the end of the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

“The government has not halted the Naivasha (talks) unilaterally but the suspension was agreed upon by the two sides,” Ismail said.

“The movement should respect the desire of members of the government delegation to perform pilgrimage, especially as the remaining issues on the negotiating table do not hinder reaching the peace agreement,” he said.