Sudanese opposition forces welcome Egypt’s initiative to host peace talks

CAIRO, Nov 20, 2004 (Xinhua) — Sudanese political powers on Saturday welcomed Egypt’s initiative to host peace talks between the Sudanese government and opposition parties, Egypt’s official MENA news agency reported.

Deputy Chairman of the Sudanese National Democratic Alliance Abdel Rahman Saeed said that Egypt’s proposal to host that dialogue is a sincere initiative that adds to Egypt’s positive stance on various Sudanese issues.

Al-Sadeq Al-Mahdi, the leader of the Sudanese Umma Party, and former prime minister, said that Egypt, with its massive regional influence, is qualified for sponsoring a Sudanese national conference on its soil, urging the Sudanese government to approve such an idea.

During a special meeting of the UN Security Council in Kenya on Friday, the Sudanese government and the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) signed an agreement on reaching a final pact by Dec. 31 to end a 21-year civil war.

After the signing ceremony, the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution promising political and economic support once Sudan was at peace.

In 48 years of independence, Sudan has been in civil war for 39 years. The current fighting between the north and the south has lasted for 21 years, killing an estimated 2 million people.

In 2003, violence flared up in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, killing many people.