Joy as agreement signals end to Sudan's 21-year war

POLITICAL leaders have praised Sudan's peace agreement between the Islamic government and Christian and animist rebels bringing an end in sight to Africa's longest-running war.

An estimated two million people have died in the war, which erupted between the north and south in 1983.

But concerns still exist that there will be no peace until a separate conflict in Darfur region is ended.

There were scenes of jubilation at the signing in Naivasha, Kenya, late on Wednesday evening as last-minute delays were overcome after two years of discussions.

"These agreements represent a monumental step forwards and testify to the desire of all the people of Sudan to unite in their diversity," President Mwai Kibaki said in a statement.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell praised the agreement and urged the two sides to work quickly to implement it but added a warning about the fighting in Darfur western Sudan.

"Sudan will not be at peace until the problem of Darfur is resolved," he said.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan described the agreement as a major step forward and said the UN was ready to help put it into practice.

The framework brings together the mainly Muslim Arab government of the north with the black African Christian rebels of the south.

Hundreds of Sudanese and Kenyan officials and foreign diplomats, including US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Charles Snyder, were kept waiting for several hours for the signing ceremony in the Kenyan resort.

Talks had stalled on how power would be shared in a transitional administration and whether the capital, Khartoum would be governed under Islamic law.

In the end, it was agreed the government will have 55% of the positions in the disputed regions and the rebels 45%.

The two sides have already established that the south should be autonomous for six years, culminating in a referendum on the key issue of independence, with Sharia law remaining in the north.

It is hoped that a final peace treaty could be signed in Washington as early as next month.

The international monitoring group, Human Rights Watch, said the peace deal was a huge step forward, but came as the Sudanese government have been taking a terrible step backward in Darfur.

It said Khartoum was carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing in the region, which raised questions about whether it was really willing to comply with the agreement for the south.