Sudan ceasefire as talks bring hope of peace after 19 years

The government and rebels in Sudan signed an agreement for a temporary ceasefire yesterday so that talks can begin to try to end the two-decade civil war in Africa's largest nation.

The agreement - a government condition for renewing talks - takes effect from noon tomorrow. It covers all of Sudan and will last as long as negotiations continue, or until the end of December, whichever comes first, the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development, which is organising the talks, said in a statement.

If no final settlement is reached by the end of the year, the temporary agreement could be extended, the statement said. It also provides for "unimpeded" humanitarian access throughout the country.

The negotiations began on Monday and are taking place in Machakos, 30 miles south-east of Nairobi. Neither government nor rebel officials could be reached for comment.

The government pulled out of talks last month when the rebels captured the strategic town of Torit. Fighting in southern and eastern Sudan has escalated since then and last week the government retook the town.

Civil war broke out in 1983 when the rebels, looking for autonomy in the south, took up arms against the predominantly Arab Muslim government.

An estimated two million people have been killed - mainly through war-induced famine - and another four million have been forced to flee their homes.

Under an interim accord signed in July - known as the Machakos protocol - the Sudanese constitution would be rewritten to ensure Islamic law can be used in the north without infringing the rights of non-Muslims in the north or south.

Most people in the south follow traditional beliefs, though 5-10% are Christians.

The sides also agreed that people in southern Sudan would vote on whether to remain part of the country or secede six years after a full peace agreement was signed.

The United States has stepped up pressure on the Sudanese government, with the House of Representatives passing a resolution on October 7 threatening sanctions if the Sudan government did not negotiate in good faith with the rebels.

The fighting has intensified in recent years as foreign companies began drilling for oil in central Sudan.