Sudan Vice-president to sign peace protocols with rebel leader

KHARTOUM, June 04, 2004 (SUNA) — The First Vice President, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, left Friday morning for Nairobi, Kenya, to sign 6 Peace Protocols with the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Dr John Garang Saturday.

Invited by the Kenyan President, Mwai Kibaki, Taha and Garang will sign the said protocols in the Kenyan Presidential Palace Saturday amid wide regional and international participation.

Taha and Garang will collectively sign Machakos framework protocol, security and military arrangements, power-sharing, wealth-sharing, protocol on Nuba mountains and southern Blue Nile, and protocol on status of Abyei, which were signed before to pave the way for a comprehensive peace agreement.

Minister of foreign affairs, Dr Mustafa Osman Ismail, explained that the signing ceremony would be attended by ministers of foreign affairs of the countries of beside the Egyptian minister of foreign affairs, Ahmad Mahir, and the secretary-general of the Arab League, Amr Musa.