Sudan denies knowledge of UN move to negotiate with eastern rebels

KHARTOUM, July 3, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) — The deputy secretary-general of the ruling National Congress (NC), Nafi Ali Nafi, has denied that the Sudanese government had received any information regarding an initiative adopted by the UN for negotiations between the government and the eastern rebels.

Responding to questions from the press at the NC Headquarter today regarding what is being said regarding this matter, he said that it was not possible for the UN to take up such a matter without first discussing it with the Sudanese government as it was an international organization.

Nafi went on to say, however, that this initiative was adopted by a British voluntary organization, which contacted us and we negotiated with it only that the consultations abruptly stopped for reasons which could be related to the other party eastern rebels.

The Sudanese daily newspaper Al-Ray Al-Amm said Sunday that a high-ranking UN official has been able to obtain assurances from the Sudanese government and the Eastern Front (EF) rebels over their readiness to hold face to face negotiations with a view to reaching a political settlement on the problem in eastern Sudan.

EF Secretary-General Mabruk Mubarak Suleim said EF leaders held talks during the last two days with a high ranking representative of the UN secretary-general Kofi Annan whom they told they were ready to sit at the negotiation table to end the crisis in eastern Sudan.

Mabruk told Al-Ray al-Amm that news reaching the EF indicated that the government had also agreed to negotiate, but Mabruk said it was premature at this stage to announce the date the talks would be held.

He said the UN delegation had left Asmara for Khartoum with the aim of holding talks with government officials before heading back to New York, adding that the UN delegation would return to Asmara once again to announce the final date of the talks as well as the agenda.