Southern, W. Sudan rebels meet in Eritrea to discuss peace process

KHARTOUM, Oct 4, 2004 (Al-Ayyam) — The leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Dr John Garang, will meet in Asmara later today the leaders of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) of Darfur within the framework of the consultations to find a peaceful settlement and push the peace process forward.

Today’s scheduled meeting was preceded by another meeting in Asmara yesterday with the SLA that was attended by SPLM’s representatives, Abd-al-Aziz Adam al-Hulwu, Biur Ajanq and Yasir Arman .

SPLM’s Official Spokesman Yasir Arman told Al-Ayyam that the meeting was within the framework of the consultations on the situation and the peace process in Naivasha and Abuja, as well as on the need to find a peaceful outcome to the negotiations on Darfur and complete the Naivasha peace process.

He said the SPLM leader, Dr John Garang, continued his meetings with the leaders who were present in Eritrea yesterday.

He pointed out that further consultations and contacts with the rest of Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) member states would continue through individual contacts and other means to put the IGAD countries in the picture, and to inform them on the latest developments in the peace negotiations; also, to understand the need to reach a final agreement as soon as possible to end the country’s current crisis.

Arman told Al-Ayyam that the SPLM is looking forward to a fruitful and final round of talks that are removed from manoeuvring and wasting time as the current stage will not tolerate such a delay that will only create doubts between the two negotiating sides, and thereby reducing the chances of realizing a final peace agreement.

Material from the BBC Monitoring Service