Sudan’s Garang to launch initiative to resolve Darfur conflict

KHARTOUM, Jan 17, 2005 (SUNA) — The leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Dr John Garang, has announced that he is in the process of launching an initiative to bring about peace in Darfur, based on the 9 January agreement in Nairobi.

In a statement aired by Al-Jazeera satellite TV yesterday, Garang said SPLM would like to see the realization of peace in all parts of Sudan before he takes over as the first vice-president of the republic, three months from now.

He hoped that a fair and just political settlement would be achieved in Darfur like the one that was realized in the south, Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile.

He said he would try his utmost to realize peace in Darfur as soon as possible.

He added that if peace was not achieved before he becomes the first vice-president of the next government of national unity, then, the government would not fight the people of Darfur.

Material provided by the BBC Monitoring Service, original text in Arabic.