Sudan optimist, Slava Kiir would succeed to convince holdout rebels

July 15, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan said optimist that the meeting of the First Vice President with the leaders of Darfur holdout rebels groups in Asmara will convince them to join to Darfur peace agreement.

Presidential Advisor, Majzoub al-Khalifa, expressed optimism that the meeting of the First Vice-President Lt Gen., Salva Kiir, in the Eritrean capital, on Saturday with the leaders of the rebel groups who rejected the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) would be successful and lead to convincing them to join the peace process as soon as possible.

Al-Khalifa said that he would encourage Abdelwahid al-Nur and Khalil Ibrahim to join the DPA as it represents the fair and balanced force for everyone and for the course of its implementation.

He also affirmed that the dialogue with the leaders of the armed movements who did not sign the DPA did not stop through different mediators, adding that the implementation of the agreement would continue so that the interest of the citizens of Darfur and the peace issue would not be affected.

The Sudanese government has launched a series of contact to persuade Abdbelwahid al-Nur to sign the DPA. Sudan proposed more political representation to his group in the Central and regional institutions, but Nur demands international guaranties in terms of Militia disarmament

(ST)