Little progress achieved at peace talks

The fourth round of Sudan peace talks ended in Nairobi on Friday with "little progress" after the Sudanese government and the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) failed to achieve a breakthrough in any of the substantive issues. Apart from procedural issues for further talks, the two parties were unable to agree on the issues of self- determination for the south, defining a border, religion and a comprehensive ceasefire, news organisations said. A final communique issued at the end of the meeting said both sides agreed to set up a permanent secretariat in Nariobi for the mediating body, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), under the supervision of a special envoy who would carry out a shuttle diplomacy between talks. The talks are to resume within 60 days and will be in permanent session. Meanwhile, the chairman of the peace committee in Khartoum's national assembly and a member of the delegation to the talks, Abdullah Deng Nhial, accused the SPLA of presenting a "new map" of southern Sudan which added the northern towns of Sinjah and Rusayris to south Sudan. SUNA news agency quoted him as referring to "foreign influence" over the movement.