Sudan's government and rebels agreed to a cease-fire in the Nuba Mountains, opening the way for aid to reach the troubled region and boosting hopes for wider peace in one of Africa's longest civil wars. Negotiators from the government and the southern-based Sudanese People's Liberation Army, or SPLA, signed the deal during talks mediated by U.S. and Swiss diplomats at a resort in Switzerland. They agreed to stop fighting in the mountains within three days. Both sides said more must be done to end 18 years of civil war in Sudan, where more than 2 million people are believed to have died in fighting and related famines.
Reaching some sort of a peace agreement is a step toward avoiding the troublesome presence of US forces looking for al-Qaeda and coincidentally sending the current "government" to hell. Smart move. |