UN to monitor Sudan security arrangements

KHARTOUM, Oct 4 (AFP) — The United Nations will discuss setting up a mechanism to monitor security arrangements between the Sudanese army and southern rebels, a newspaper quoted a US diplomat as saying Saturday.

US charge d’affaires in Khartoum, Gerard Gallucci, said the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) both agree on the need for such a system, the independent Al-Ayam newspaper said.

He said the UN Security Council will begin discussing the setting up of this system in the “near future.”

“Bringing the two forces together is a difficult an complicated job but the international community will extend every possible assistance,” Gallucci said.

Al-Ayam also quoted the French envoy to Sudan, Henri Benoit de Coignac, as saying Paris was ready to help in implementing the security arrangements.

Khartoum and the SPLA signed last month an agreement in the Kenyan town of Naivasha on security arrangements that include integrating some of their forces, as a prelude to end the 20-year civil war.

Khartoum last year agreed in principle to grant the mostly the mostly animist and Christian southern Sudan a six-year transitional period of self-rule after which the region would vote on whether it wants to remain united with the mainly Muslim Arab north or secede.

Talks are to resume on October 15 in Kenya on the last sticking points, which including the sharing of power and oil resources.