KHARTOUM, (AFP) -The Sudanese government has accused the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) of rejecting a peace bid by Egypt and Libya, Presidential peace adviser Ghazi Salah Eddin Atabani told repoerters here Sunday.
He cited a recent statement by the movement demanding the initiative include self-determination for southern Sudan and separation of religion from the state.
The SPLA statement "clearly indicates that the movement, contrary to its previous declarations, does not want peace to be achieved under the joint intiative" by Egypt and Libya, said Atabani.
He said his government and those of Egypt and Libya are trying to probe "the real stance of the movement, the extent of its interest in peace and its final position with regards to the joint initiative."
He said his government not only accepted the initiative unconditionally but also urged Egypt and Libya to make arrangements for implementing it.
Commenting on conflicting reports about an Afro-Arab summit on Sudan, Atabani said there is no disagreement between Egypt and Libya on the proposed summit.
It was also reported earlier that Libya's Colonel Kadhafi has invited Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir and his arch-opponents Jong Garang, Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani and Sadek al-Mahdi to celebrations marking the 32nd anniversary of his seizure of power.
Commenting on meetings of an Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) technical committee to be held in the Kenyan capital Nairobi as of Monday, Atabani said the committee would prepare topics to be discussed by a future IGAD-sponsored round of talks between the government and SPLA.
The east African IGAD has previously organised several inconclusive rounds of negotiations for finding peace in southern Sudan.
No date for a forthcoming round has been set.