South Sudan rebels say suspect Sudan dragging feet

CAIRO, Sept 26 (Reuters) – Rebels in southern Sudan said on Sunday they wanted to complete a peace agreement with the government in talks starting in Kenya on Oct. 7 and accused Khartoum of trying to delay the process to gain time.

“We are worried about the manoeuvres by the Khartoum side. There is a strong tendency for them to buy time,” said Yaser Arman, spokesman for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement.

“They are buying time for the American elections (in November) and in Iraq they are hoping America is going to be defeated and so they will get a better deal. We think this is the wrong policy and will cost the country heavily,” he told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Arman, who is visiting Cairo with SPLM leader John Garang, said there was no time to waste in the talks and the chief negotiators – Garang and Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha – should stay in Kenya until a deal is done.

The talks started in early 2002 and have reached preliminary agreement on most of the points in dispute. The aim is to end more than 20 years of war in southern Sudan between the government and non-Muslim Africans who want more autonomy.

The talks are separate from those on the western region of Darfur, which have been taking place in Nigeria.

Arman said the rebels had heard that the government planned to send Taha to Kenya for only three days and then hand the negotiations over to committees, which might not finish until December. Sudanese officials were not available to comment.

“Sudan is in crisis and there is an urgent need to conclude the final peace deal … The SPLM will go to the Oct. 7 meetings to conclude one,” he added.

“The two outstanding issues – a permanent ceasefire and the implementation modalities – need a political decision, which can only be taken by the principals (Garang and Taha),” he said.

Garang has talks in Cairo on Sunday with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, he added.

Egypt is hosting talks this week between the Sudanese government and the National Democratic Alliance, an umbrella group which includes the SPLM and some northern groups.

But Arman said it was not yet clear when exactly those talks would begin and who would take part. Garang and Taha might be in Cairo together when the talks open but they do not have plans to meet until Oct. 7 in Kenya, he added.