Eastern Sudan talks to resume on Monday 31 July

July 29, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The third round of negotiations between the Sudanese government and the Eastern Front is to resume on Monday at the Eritrean capital of Asmara, while an Eritrean delegation is expected to arrive in Khartoum today or Sunday, said Presidential Adviser and head of the government delegation for the negotiations Mustafa Osman Ismail.

In a press statement following a meeting with the President Omer al-Bashir at the Friendship Hall here Saturday, Ismail said that the round of negotiations would begin with the discussion of the details of the issues of power and wealth sharing along with the security arrangements.

He expected that an agreement can be reached in weeks if things go as they are now. He further said that the Eritrean mediator is smartly steering the negotiations, without any clamour, and with the involvement of the two parties only, a matter, which he said helped in discussing the issues objectively.

As for the issue of the one region, Ismail explained that the government of National Unity is committed to the results of the negotiations, while evaluation of the negotiations progress is left for the Eritrean mediator. The negotiations stopped for two days.

(ST)