Sudan deal close

22 October 2003
US Secretary of State Colin Powell on 22 October said that he could see a lasting peace agreement between Khartoum and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) being finalised in the near future. 'I believe that a final agreement is within the grasp of the parties', Powell told reporters in Kenya, where the latest round of peace talks between Vice President Ali Taha and rebel leader John Garang are taking place. 'This is a moment of opportunity that must not be lost - the way is now open for a final and comprehensive solution.'

Sudan was placed on the US' list of states that sponsor terrorism in the late 1990s for allowing safe haven for members of various groups, including associates of Osama Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda organisation, Egypt's Gamaat al-Islamiya, Egyptian Islamic Jihad, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Hamas (MEED 20:10:03).

A MEED Subscription...

Subscribe or upgrade your current MEED.com package to support your strategic planning with the MENA region’s best source of business information. Proceed to our online shop below to find out more about the features in each package.