Sudanese vice president ends visit to Egypt

CAIRO, Oct 2, 2003 (Xinhua) — Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Taha left here Thursday after a two-day visit, Egypt’s official MENA news agency reported.

During the visit, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met with Taha on the latest developments of Sudan’s peace process in light of an agreement reached between the Sudanese government and the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) on security and military arrangements.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Taha said efforts on the coming stage would focus on Sudan’s reconstruction and reviving its economy.

As for the signed agreement, Taha said the deal regulates important technical details on military and administrative ties between forces involved in war.

The Sudanese government and the SPLA on Thursday signed a deal on security issues and other key points which could lead to a final peace accord.

However, the two sides remain far from reaching a comprehensive peace deal, with power sharing, wealth sharing and the status of three contested areas on the north-south border still at issue.

The Sudanese Islamic government forces have been fighting with the SPLA, which has been fighting for greater autonomy for the predominantly Christian and animist south, since 1983.