Posted on 04/11/2004 9:15:59 AM PDT by SJackson
Peace talks aimed at ending Sudan's long civil war have stalled over whether the capital Khartoum should remain under Islamic law. Mediators in the talks between the government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army had expected a framework peace agreement to be signed Saturday or Sunday. But Sudan's Foreign Minister Osman Ismail said Saturday that the two sides were at odds over the government's desire for Khartoum to remain subject to Islamic law.
The rebels from mostly Christian and animist southern Sudan want non-Muslims to be exempt from Islamic law, known as Sharia.
Mr. Ismail says he still believes an agreement will be reached within a matter of days, rather than weeks. The talks are being held in the Kenyan city of Naivasha.
The issue of Islamic law in Khartoum is the latest issue blocking a final deal to end more than 20 years of civil war. The six-month-old talks between First Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha and rebel leader John Garang stalled in recent weeks over the disputed oil-rich Abyei region and the issue of power-sharing.
Earlier this week, the acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs, Charles Snyder, voiced frustration over the slow pace of the negotiations during a visit to Kenya.
The civil war in southern Sudan is separate from a more recent rebellion in the country's western Darfur region.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.
Huh???
Then where will the Islamofascists get their SLAVES from???
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