Taha, Garang affirm readiness to settle outstanding issues
NAIROBI, Oct 8, 2004 (SUNA) — First Vice President Ali Osman Mohammed Taha has affirmed that the government comes to the new session of peace talks with Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in Kenya with full keenness and readiness to reach final and durable peace.
Taha was addressing the opening sitting of the new session of peace negotiations which started Thursday in Nairobi.
The First Vice President stressed the importance of the talks for reaching comprehensive and durable peace in Sudan, pledging that he would work with SPLM Chairman Dr. John Garang to push forward the talks to settle the outstanding issues and reach a final settlement.
Taha thanked the Kenyan President and his government for hosting the talks. He also thanked former Kenyan foreign minister Kalenzo Masayoka for the efforts he exerted for boosting the talks and welcomed Mr. John Kosh, Minister of Regional Development, who is delegated by the Kenyan President to sponsor the talks.
The special envoy of the Kenyan President to the Sudanese peace talks, General Lazaras Symbweo, spoke at the out set of the fifth session of peace negotiations at the leadership level, referring to the good work accomplished in the previous session, which dealt with cease-fire.
He pointed out that the session is convened to settle the remaining outstanding issues and then move to two key issues of implementation methodology and the regional and international guarantees.
He said that concern was shown during the past period on the crisis in Darfur, referring to its effects on the peace process in Sudan.
Kenyan Regional Development Minister John Kosh, who is responsible for Sudan peace file, affirmed his government’s commitment to the efforts for reaching peace agreement, congratulating the Government of Sudan and SPLM for the efforts they exerted and signing the six peace protocols.
He also referred to Darfur issue, saying they consider the IGAD framework as a model for solving Sudan’s problems.
IGAD Executive Secretary Ambassador Attalla Hamad, on his part, said IGAD would work with IGAD Partners Forum and other bodies to implement the programmes and activities of the peace stage.
Representative of the UN Secretary General in Sudan Jan Pronk, on his part, affirmed the commitment of the international community to the IGAD Peace Process.
The session was also addressed by Chairman of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement Dr. John Garang, who commended the progress of the peace process. He said he came ready to work to settle all outstanding issues and sign the peace agreement, referring to current challenges.
On Darfur issue, he said Sudan can not enjoy stability, when it witnesses peace in an area and a war in another, pointing out that peace in Sudan is peace for the whole area.
Meanwhile, the First Vice President, Ali Osman Mohammed Taha, and SPLM Chairman Dr. Garang held a meeting Thursday evening, where they reviewed the agenda, outstanding issues and the method of negotiations.