Sudan peace talks achieved slight progress: Khartoum

KHARTOUM, Aug 24 (AFP) — Peace talks between the Khartoum government and the separatist Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) that were suspended in Kenya on Saturday achieved slight progress, a senior official said Sunday.

The east-African Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) that is mediating the talks put forward some proposals that helped overcome “procedural problems,” presidential peace advisor Ghazi Salah Eddin Atabani said following a cabinet meeting.

IGAD also presented a package of “negotiating rules” which are to be discussed during an eighth round of talks slated for September 10, Atabani said, without elaborating further.

On Saturday, the delegations holding talks in Nanyuki, Kenya agreed to suspend negotiations until September 10 in order to consult with their leaders, mediators said.

The latest round, which opened on August 11 focused on how to share power and resources during a six-year interim period of self-rule for southern Sudan.

But Khartoum maintained its objection to a draft document unveiled by IGAD, saying it provided for measures that would ultimately lead to the secession of southern Sudan, the independent Al-Rai Al-Aam newspaper of Khartoum reported on Friday.