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Khartoum, Darfur rebels sign deal

ABUJA (Nigeria): The Sudanese Government and a major rebel movement in Darfur signed a peace agreement here on Friday, marking a notable progress in an international effort to end years of bloodshed in western Sudan.

The agreement, which was reached after two years of hard talks between the Sudanese Government and the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM), appeals for the disbandment of rebel forces and the disarmament of the government-backed ``janjaweed'' militia. At the signing ceremony held at the State House in the Nigerian capital Abuja, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo spoke highly of SLM leader Minnie Minnawi, saying that he was ``not just a military commander but also a political leader.''

The signing ceremony was delayed for three hours, as mediators tried to persuade the smaller faction of the SLM to sign up to the deal. An SLM spokesman said the group still has concerns over whether the Sudanese Government is ready to share power.

Xinhua

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