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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

SUDAN: Peace talks resume, gov't hopes for "more reasonable" accord

NAIROBI, 12 August 2003 (IRIN) - Sudanese peace talks have reopened in Kenya with the government side saying its opposition to a draft agreement presented by mediators last month is unlikely to scuttle the peace process.

Sudan's deputy ambassador to Kenya Muhammad Ahmad Dirdeiry told IRIN on Tuesday that although his government had rejected the draft as a basis for negotiation, he was hopeful that the talks - which resumed on Monday - would result in a "more reasonable" draft.

"We don't feel that our position will scuttle the process. This is not the first draft that we have disagreed with. It happens all the time," Dirdeiry stated.

The talks to end Sudan's 20-year civil war, hit a snag in July after the Sudanese government rejected the draft agreement presented by mediators from the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in the Kenyan town of Nakuru.

The rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) also had reservations about the draft, but agreed to use the document as a basis for further negotiation.

The chairman of the African Union, Amara Essy, on Monday urged both parties to "muster the necessary political will and commitment for a lasting peace and reconciliation".

"The people of the Sudan expect and deserve peace to end the trauma caused by the conflict and the humanitarian tragedies that many have experienced in the country," he said.

The Belgian based think-tank, International Crisis Group (ICG), has described the ongoing round of talks as "make or break" for the country's peace process. It said this was "the best chance for peace in 20 years", and warned that the war could become "more deadly than ever" if the opportunity was missed.

Theme(s): (IRIN) Conflict

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