Sudan Peace Talks Resume in Kenya

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, August 13, 2002

Sudan Peace Talks Resume in Kenya

Talks aimed at finding a lasting peace in the Sudan between the government and the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLA) resumed in Kenya Monday.

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Talks aimed at finding a lasting peace in the Sudan between the government and the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLA) resumed in Kenya Monday.

Both the rebels and government have expressed hope that a comprehensive peace agreement will be reached in the next five weeks of the second round of negotiations, held in the Kenyan townof Machakos, about 70 km southeast of Nairobi.

Muhammad Ahmad Dirdeiry, the charge d'affaires of the Sudanese embassy in Nairobi told Xinhua from Machakos Monday that he was optimistic that the second phase of the talks would make further progress.

"We are very optimistic that once we have agreed on most of thecontentious points, we will agree on other issues as well," he said.

"This, of course, doesn't mean the negotiations will be easy. It will be very tough. We are going to have real negotiations," headded.

The SPLA spokesman, Samson Kwaje, also told Xinhua on a telephone from Machakos that the most difficult issues, including power sharing, wealth sharing and a comprehensive ceasefire agreement, topped the agenda of Monday's discussion.

He assured that a breakthrough will be reached this round of talks.

The talks, which are taking place under the auspices of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development under the chairmanshipof Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi, are being observed by representatives from the United States, Britain, Norway and Italy.

The first round of talks in July resulted in the Machakos Protocol, in which both parties agreed that a referendum for the population in southern Sudan be conducted in six years' time to choose whether to secede or remain in a united Sudan.

The protocol was hailed as a breakthrough. But renewed fightinghas been seen since it was signed, raising fears of a major setback in the peace process aimed at ending the 19-year-long civil conflict.

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