Press Release Issued at the End of Session of Peace Talks between Sudan Govt, SPLM in Kenya

NAIROBI, Oct 31, 2004 (SUNA) — Following the Sudan News Agency publishes text of the press release issued at the conclusion of session of peace talks between the Government of Sudan and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in Kenya Saturday:-

1. The Government of the Sudan and the Sudan People’s Movement/Army met at the Kenyan Commercial Bank Management Centre, Karen from 17th- 30th October, 2004 at Technical level to discuss the Implementation Modalities of the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement based on the Six Protocols they have negotiated and signed since the Machakos Protocol of 20th July, 2002.

2. The parties jointly, and with the assistance of Resource Persons went through the general guiding principles involved in implementation of agreements, the key tasks that must be considered, including the timing of the events, the executing bodies to be established, their composition, the funding sources, and the procedures or processes to be followed.

3. The parties worked in three sub-committees under the clusters of the Machakos and Power Sharing Protocols; Wealth Sharing Protocols; the Protocol on the two Areas including the Protocol on Abyei Area.

4. The three clusters covered some ground on all the Protocols and produced draft documents which have been deposited with the Secretariat as working texts. In addition, they continued to work with the UN Experts on technical implementation issues of the Security Agreement.

5. The parties agreed to adjourn until the 26th November, 2004 when they will resume to continue working on the remaining technical issues. H.E Ali Osman Taha, the First Vice President of the Sudan and Dr. John Garang de Mabior, Chairman of the SPLM/A will thereafter meet from 11th December, 2004, to resolve any outstanding issues in Implementation Modalities that will have been identified by the Technical Committee. They will also conclude the remaining issues of the Permanent Security Arrangements.

6. The Mediators, the IPF, the UN and the AU, commended the parties for the work they have done and urged them to put extra efforts in this critical stage of the process in order to trigger the operational mechanisms of the Peace Agreement.