Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the progress of peace talks for concluding the civil war in Sudan

May 27, 2004

The Government of Japan welcomes the conclusion of the framework agreement on May 26 between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM) within the context of their continued negotiations intended to bring an end to the civil war in Sudan which has lasted over twenty years. This framework agreement is regarding the remaining major unsettled issues in the negotiations, namely, the issues of power-sharing and attribution of the three disputed districts. The Government of Japan also expresses respect for the efforts made by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which took the lead in the peace talks, the Government of Kenya, which hosted the talks, and other countries concerned.
This agreement was made possible by the confidence building efforts among the parties to the dispute who have patiently continued the negotiations over specific issues. This agreement is expected to greatly advance the peace negotiation. The Government of Japan strongly hopes that the both sides, by taking the opportunity of concluding this framework agreement, will continue their negotiations over the pending issues and reach the final peace agreement as soon as possible.
Furthermore, the Government of Japan is gravely concerned over the deteriorating humanitarian condition in Darfur in western Sudan. The Government of Japan supports the efforts made by the African Union (AU) for a conflict resolution in Darfur, and strongly hopes that all parties observe the cease-fire agreement and immediately take the necessary measures to solve the issue.

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