Sudanese VP says govt ready to resume talks with Darfur rebels

KHARTOUM, May 3, 2005 (SSUNA) — The first vice-president, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, has assured of the government readiness to resume the negotiations with Darfur rebels as soon as possible.

This came while he was chairing a plenary meeting at the Republican Palace Tuesday to discuss the developments in Darfur.

The meeting reviewed the reports of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Interior and Humanitarian Affairs.

Taha said the government welcomed the increase of the African Union’s (AU) forces in Darfur and its full cooperation for realization of security and stability in Darfur region.

In a press statement to SUNA after the meeting, the foreign minister, Mustafa Osman Ismail, said that the first vice-president would pay visits in the coming days to a number of foreign capitals to push ahead the process of negotiations with the Darfur rebels.

He said that the meeting underscored the satisfactory situation of the humanitarian conditions and the existing food materials in Darfur states.

The foreign minister said that the meeting also heard a report about the recent meetings of the AU Security and Peace Council in Addis Ababa as well as the decision on the increase of the African Union’s forces in Darfur.