Search
  1. Home
  2. East Africa
  3. Sudan

President, rebel leader hope for peace by June

    NAIROBI

    President Umar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir of Sudan and the leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), John Garang, said on Wednesday that they hoped for a final truce by the end of June 2003.

    "They jointly expressed hope on reaching a final peace agreement by the end of June, 2003," said a joint communique.

    At a meeting in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, which was chaired by President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a cessation of hostilities and unrestricted delivery of humanitarian access.

    They agreed on "the need to open communication channels between them" and committed themselves to be "forthright" on upcoming issues in the negotiations, with a view to boosting the peace process.

    They also reiterated their confidence in the Kenyan mediators at the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development-sponsored talks, and agreed on the need to maintain the momentum towards reaching a comprehensive peace agreement.

    Kibaki observed that the negotiations had reached "a critical stage", and urged the two parties to maintain their commitment and flexibility by making the necessary compromises to end the conflict.

    "A lot of difficult issues need to be resolved first [before a comprehensive ceasefire]. The three disputed areas of Southern Blue Nile, Abyei and the Nuba mountains need to be put at the forefront of negotiations for peace to be lasting," commented one regional analyst.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join