Egypt, Libya to Hold Meeting on Peace Plan for SudanEgypt and Libya will hold a joint meeting in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Sunday to discuss ways of activating an initiative aimed at ending an 18-year civil war in Sudan.Egyptian Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister Rafiq Khalil will, on behalf of Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher, lead an Egyptian delegation to attend the meeting, Egypt's state-run MENA news agency reported Saturday. During the meeting, Egypt and Libya are expected to convince the Sudanese government and the country's opposition parties to approve the nine-item memo jointly presented by Cairo and Tripoli on June 26. The new Egyptian-Libyan peace proposal calls for resuming the peace process in Sudan, forming a transitional cabinet of all political forces, specifying date and arrangements of new general elections, and an immediate cessation of all forms of hostilities. The Sudanese government troops have been fighting with the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) since 1983, which has been struggling for greater autonomy for the predominantly Christian and animist south. In 1999, Egypt and Libya put forward a joint peace initiative, calling for holding a peace conference to seek national reconciliation and peace in Sudan. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which was formed by the SPLA and northern opposition political parties, has called for self-determination for the south and the separation of religion from the government in any peace process, a demand rejected by Khartoum. |
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