Sudan Embassy responds

It appeared that The Jakarta Post on its edition of Jan. 3 has mixed up the news coming from the Sudan. While the title was absolutely misleading Sudan to withdraw troops from Darfur, the body of the news item that you attributed to Associated Press on the first page under the 24 hours section was true.

What happened was that the Sudan government and the Sudan People Movement and Army (formerly the main rebel group in the southern Sudan) have signed the two final protocols for a permanent cease-fire and have endorsed details on how to implement the peace plan in what is a comprehensive peace agreement to end the longest running civil war on the continent of Africa.

Troops re-arrangement is a part of the security protocol of the agreement where the troops will be repositioned during the six year interim period stipulated by the agreement.

We would appreciate if it you could put the record straight, correcting the mistake and pointing out that the news item written by the Associated Press and published by the Post had nothing to do with Darfur but with the peace agreement in the southern Sudan.

KAMAL ALI OSMAN TAHA, Cultural and Information Counselor, Sudan Embassy, Jakarta

Note: The article was based on the Associated Press' release.

--Editor