Sudan’s peace deal to be signed soon: FM

CAIRO, Dec 6, 2003 (Xinhua) — Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail said here on Saturday that the Islamic government will sign a final peace deal with southern rebels by the end of this month.

Speaking to reporters after his arrival in the Egyptian capital, Ismail said he will hand over a written message of Sudanese President Omar Bashir to his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak.

“The message deals with bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest,” Ismail said.

He said during the visit, he will meet with a number of Egyptian officials to brief them on the latest developments of Sudan’s peace process.

In late November, the Sudanese government and the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) agreed to extend a ceasefire agreement for two months, a sign of increased mutual trust between the two sides.

Earlier in the day, Sudanese First Vice President Ali Osman Taha and John Garang, leader of the main rebel SPLA, arrived in Kenya for talks which are on the final stage.

“We hope to reach an agreement very soon. What we have done previously has paved way for easier settlement of this conflict,” Taha told reporters upon his arrival.

During the discussions, the two sides are expected to agree on the contentious issue of the sharing of revenues from oil deposits in the south. Other issues include the status of the three central states, Abyei, Blue Nile state and the Nuba Mountains.

The Sudanese government and the SPLA scored a breakthrough in July, 2002, when they agreed on a referendum on southern independence after a six-year transition, but disputes on oil and power sharing as well as settling disputed territories have hindered further progress.