Sudan rivals strengthen truce

Civilians have paid a heavy price during the war

The Sudanese Government and rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) have agreed to strengthen the truce they signed last year.

This event signifies the end of war in Sudan is at hand. In actual fact, it is here

Lazaro Sumbeiywo, mediator

International observers will help reinforce the role of a committee which will monitor the ceasefire, which is supposed to last while peace talks in Kenya continue.

Each side has accused the other of breaking the ceasefire, and all territory seized since it was signed will be returned to the party that was holding it at the time.

The current round of talks is the third to try to end the conflict between the government in the mainly Muslim north of the country and the rebels in the Christian and animist South.

Optimistic

The mediator in the talks welcomed the agreement.

"This event signifies the end of war in Sudan is at hand. In actual fact, it is here," Lazaro Sumbeiywo said.

The Sudanese army has pledged to implement the accord.

"The army strategically chose to support the negotiations rather than war," Jafar Hassan, a senior commander, said.

"The Sudanese army will respect the Memorandum of Understanding and we affirm our commitment to implementing it."

The SPLA rebels were also optimistic.

"Such steps towards normalisation can boost the peace process and also determine the shape the talks take," the head of the SPLA delegation, Nhial Deng Nhial, said.

Power-sharing

The new committee, which will include observers from Norway, Italy, Britain and the United States, will investigate any alleged infringements of the ceasefire, and will rule on any complaint.

"Fighting has recently taken a more ominous turn, with increasing reports of intense fighting," Lazaro Sumbeiywo, the chief mediator in the talks, said.

He said the two parties had made "steady progress" on the issues of power and wealth sharing.

When the talks began last month, the SPLA was demanding 80% of oil revenues, whereas the government said it was only prepared to concede 10%.

About two million people have been killed in the civil war.

A referendum on self-determination is to be held in the south in 2008.