Rebel leader forecasts end of Sudan peace accord by year end

WASHINGTON, Nov 21 (AFP) — Sudanese rebel leader John Garang said Friday a peace accord to end Sudan’s 20-year civil war would probably be reached within weeks.

“We hope that we will reach a final, just and comprehensive agreement before the end of the year,” said Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) chief Garang after a meeting here with US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

“There are good chances we can do that. The issues are clear,” he said.

State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli also noted that Garang had committed to Powell “to reach a final comprehensive agreement by the end of December.”

Talks at Naivasha, Kenya which have been on hold since late October are set to resume November 30, said Gerang, noting that he and Sudan’s Vice President Ali Osman Taha were to meet for talks around December 5.

Powell attended peace talks in Naivasha on October 22, saying at the time that the Khartoum government and opposition were prepared to negotiate for an accord by the end of December.

Washington is “pleased by the progress that’s been made and still looking forward to an agreement by year’s end,” Ereli said Friday.

Talks are currently in recess for Ramadan.

Issues still unresolved include power sharing and wealth distribution, as well as the status of three contested regions.

Sudan’s war erupted in 1983 when Garang’s SPLA took up arms to end domination of the mainly Christian and animist south by the Arabised, Muslim north.

The war has left 1.5 million people dead and four million displaced.