CAIRO Ñ Sudan and the main rebel group have agreed to a ceasefire as
fighting raged in the eastern portion of the country.
The ceasefire is scheduled to begin on Thursday and will last throughout
peace talks between the Khartoum regime and the Sudanese People's Liberation
Army. Both sides have confirmed the agreement but refused to detail the
terms of the truce.
SPLA representatives said the key questions of whether the ceasefire
will include all fronts of the fighting had delayed a signing of the
agreement. The government has refused to end fighting in southeastern Sudan,
where rebels claimed successes over the last month.
Rebel sources said the terms of the agreement could be clarified on
Wednesday, saying this could be the first time the two sides will link peace
talks to a cessation of hostilities.
"This is the first time where we have signed a cessation of
hostilities," SPLA spokesman Samson Kwaje said. "Both parties have signed so
as to allow the talks to continue."
But a senior Sudanese official said the ceasefire does not include
eastern Sudan. Fighting was reported to have continued in eastern Sudan on
Tuesday as rebels and government forces battled near Hamashkorib. The town
is located near the Eritrean border and was captured by the rebels earlier
this month.
The two sides launched peace talks in August despite continued fighting.
By early September, Khartoum bolted the talks, saying the SPLA had exploited
the talks to capture the key city of Torit.
Last week, Sudanese forces recaptured Torit and both sides expressed a
willingness to sign a ceasefire and return to the negotiating table. On
Tuesday, Sudan reported continued military successes, saying troops
recaptured the Loringo and Lofid areas in the southeast.
"Our forces Monday seized Loringo town and took control of Lofid
mountains, about 35 kilometers away from Torit," Sudanese
military spokesman Gen. Mohammed Beshir Suleiman said.
