Sudan reiterates readiness for Darfur peace talks

December 11, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese government reiterated on Tuesday its readiness to held peace negotiations with Darfur rebel movements at any time set by the mediators of the United Nations and the African Union (AU).

Sudanese Presidential Assistant Nafie Ali Nafie, who is also the head of government delegation for Darfur peace talks, made the remarks following a meeting with visiting Jan Eliasson, the special envoy of the UN secretary general for Darfur.

Nafie told reporters that he discussed with Eliasson the arrangements for the coming round of talks between the Sudanese government and the rebel movements in Darfur and ways to unify their position in order to make the next negotiations success.

The Sudanese official denied that his government had blocked a joint UN-AU peacekeeping operation in Darfur, which has been delayed due to financial and logistic problems, urging the UN to finance the operation.

Eliasson underlined importance of the participation of all the armed movements in Darfur in the coming negotiations to reach a political solution for Darfur problem.

The UN envoy arrived in Khartoum on Wednesday to continue mediation efforts to push forward the peace process in Darfur.

Under the joint mediation of the UN and the African Union, the Sudanese government resumed the peace talks in Sirte, Libya, onOct.27 with some seven rebel groups which were termed by Sudanese media as “internet movements” for their little influence among the Darfurians.

(Xinhua)