The main rebel group and Khartoum announced on 21 September that they are to extend the present ceasefire agreement for another two months. The agreement had been due to expire on 30 September. John Garang, head of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), and Sudan's first vice-president Ali Osman Mohammed have been involved in peace talks in Kenya for more than two weeks. Both sides are under great pressure from the international community, especially from the US, to come to a permanent agreement (MEED 14:8:03).