U.S. still hopes Sudanese factions can reach agreement, Ereli?

WASHINGTON, Dec 31, 2003 (KUNA) — A State Department official said on Wednesday ‏that the U.S. government hoped that the two sides in Sudan’s civil strife ‏‏would still be able to make a peace pact.‏

‏Briefing reporters, spokesman Adam Ereli was asked if the United States had ‏‏given up hope that a deal would be signed by the end of 2003.‏

‏”We remain hopeful that the parties can reach an agreement”, he said.‏

‏”I would note that they are the ones that said they thought they could get ‏‏it done by the end of the year.”‏

‏Ereli said the important point was that “they are very close. There are ‏‏really just some small issues dividing them. We think there is a historic ‏‏opportunity here, that the moment should be seized. We are working with both ‏‏of them to resolve these few remaining issues that are outstanding.”‏
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He noted that Secretary of State Colin Powell had spoken by telephone on ‏‏Tuesday with Sudanese President Omar Bashir, Vice President Ali Osman Taha, ‏‏representing the government in the Arab, Islamic north of Sudan. He had also ‏‏spoken with John Garang, leader of the Sudan Peoples Liberation ‏‏Movement/Army, representing the mainly black African Christians and animists ‏‏in southern Sudan.‏
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Previously, President George W. Bush called the three leaders and urged ‏‏them to reach a peace settlement by the end of 2003.‏
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With U.S. and other international help, the two sides ended their decades ‏‏of warfare, declared a ceasefire and have been negotiating on a number of ‏‏economic issues.‏

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Ereli said of the two sides, “They have said they are going to make every ‏‏effort to close the gaps that remain.” The United States would work very hard ‏‏to help the two sides to realize their goal of peace, he added.