Sudan ready to receive UN committee on humanitarian situations in Darfur

KHARTOUM, Oct 9, 2004 (Xinhua) — The Sudanese government announced here Saturday that it is ready to receive an international committee formed by the United Nations recently to verify the humanitarian situations in Darfur.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Othman Ismail expressed the government stance in a press statement.

Sudan hopes that the committee would be neutral, he said in the press statement.

Meanwhile, the foreign minister affirmed that the peace talks between Sudanese government and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in Nairobi, Kenya “is moving forward and its starting is still encouraging”.

The head of Sudanese government delegation to the talks Ali Othman Taha and the SPLM leader John Garang held Saturday in Nairobi a second close-door meeting, in which issues were discussed in details, noted Ismail.

He stressed that a complete transparency is important for talks to go forward, particularly the transitional period will witness partnership between the two sides in governance that needs frankness as well as transparency.

The Sudanese government and the SPLM adjourned their talks on July 27 and resumed the negotiations in Nairobi last Thursday.