Egypt’s Mubarak commends Sudan peace agreement

CAIRO, Egypt, Jan 11, 2005 (PANA) — Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has
commended the peace agreement signed on Sunday in Nairobi, Kenya,
between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation
Movement/Army (SPLM/A), saying that the two parties have written
their names in the history of their country.

“This is a very important agreement for peace in Sudan which
should restore prosperity to the country ravaged by war for long
years,” Mubarak said.

“It took great determination and strong will from both parties to
reach that agreement, which will be a new phase in the history of
the country,” he added.

Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Abou El Gheit also commended the
agreement, saying that it “will surely open new opportunities of
prosperity and development in the Sudan.”

“Egypt has made great efforts to put the parties around the
negotiating table and we will deploy more efforts to consolidate
the agreement and help our brothers from the Sudan,” he added.

“The agreement will be hugely beneficial for the people of the
southern Sudan and give them many of their rights which have been
neglected in recent years, which will contribute to improving
their situation,” El Gheit continued.

The minister attended the signing of the Sudan peace agreement,
which he countersigned as a witness.