Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashirand his Chadian counterpart Idris Deby Sunday expressed their determination to implement the ceasefire agreement reached in N'djamena, capital of Chad, by the Sudanese government and Sudan's western Darfur rebels.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail, who accompaniedPresident Al-Bashir to visit Chad, said late Sunday that "Presidents Al-Bashir and Deby stressed their commitment to implementing the N'djamena ceasefire agreement between the Sudanese government and the rebels in Darfur and delivery of humanitarian aid to affected citizens in the region."

Mustafa said in a statement upon returning to Sudan from Chad that "President Al-Bashir affirmed his government's commitment to reaching a comprehensive political settlement to the Darfur issue through dialogue during the coming session of negotiations."

In N'djamena last Thursday, the Sudanese government and westernDarfur rebels reached the 45-day ceasefire agreement which came into effect on Sunday and can be extended in the future.

Under the accord, both sides pledged to stop all combats to guarantee access of international humanitarian assistance and the safety of relief groups.

Rebels of the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement in western Darfur area have been raising their armed resistance against the government since February 2003, claiming the government had neglected the impoverished region bordering Chad for years.

Clashes have escalated after efforts to reach a peace deal failed last December, leaving more than 10,000 people dead and 670,000 others displaced, and forcing more than 100,000 refugees to seek asylum in the neighboring Chad.