Time for sides to prove commitment to peace - US envoy

The Sudanese government and rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) can resolve their differences within a matter of weeks if both sides are genuinely interested in peace, former US senator John Danforth told reporters in Nairobi on Friday. "It's not enough to make verbal statements," said Danforth, the US peace envoy to Sudan. "If each side truly and in good faith seeks peace and if each side negotiates in good faith then these remaining issues can be resolved in a very short period of time. By a short period of time I mean weeks, not months." The most difficult issues surrounding unity and self-determination, and state and religion had already been resolved in July 2002 in the Machakos agreement, he said. The remaining issues of wealth and power sharing, security arrangements and the status of the capital were "not as difficult and not as contentious". The government and rebel positions on these outstanding issues were "very close" and "very solvable", he added. "Maybe the two sides are comfortable with the status quo...They will show with their actions, not with their words," Danforth stressed. He added that an agreement had to be found soon, or else the current high levels of international interest would wane. US President Bush was "intensely interested" in Sudan, he said. The latest session of peace talks being held in Kenya came to a standstill last weekend when the government delegation raised objections to a draft peace agreement, presented by the regional negotiators, citing "imbalances". The government said that the document was "far removed" from the text and spirit of the July 2002 Machakos Protocol, because of a basic assumption that the country would be run by two separate administrations during the six-year interim period, following the signing of a national agreement. The talks are expected to resume on 23 July.