SECRETARY-GENERAL HAILS NEW SUDAN FRAMEWORK SECURITY AGREEMENTS

SECRETARY-GENERAL HAILS NEW SUDAN FRAMEWORK SECURITY AGREEMENTS

Following is a statement issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General was encouraged by the news that today the Government of the Republic of the Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) initialled a framework agreement on the security arrangements for the interim period.  He highly commends the commitment and personal efforts of First Vice-President of the Sudan, Mr. Ali Osman Taha, and Chairman of the SPLM/A, Mr. John Garang, who have been engaged in direct talks in Naivasha, Kenya, for over three weeks.  The Secretary-General urges the parties to sustain the pace of the talks and reach a speedy settlement of the conflict.

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