afrol News, 11 November - Sudan People's Forum, a government sponsored initiative, has called a new ceasefire in war torn Darfur region.

Draft recommendations of people's initiative, which was boycotted by rebel groups fighting government, are expected to lay a foundation for a possible peace conference in Qatar by end of 2008.

A report also recommends that Sudanese government should pay compensation to displaced Darfuris and appoint a national vice-president for the region.

However, Sudan's government still has to adopt recommendations, which are latest in a series of proposed ceasefires and peace plans announced during more than five years of fighting in Sudan's Darfur region.

Sixty-seven pages of draft recommendations focuses on need to stop hostilities and declare a ceasefire, although one senior official emphasised the document is still being edited.

"The people's initiative forum calls upon government to cease fire and also calls upon Darfur rebel groups to cease fire so as to reform the situation for dialogue," said document.

It also recommends that a vice president be appointed for all Darfur, calling on north and south Sudan to amend accordingly 2005 peace agreement, which made leader of semi-autonomous south a vice president.

It further said political prisoners should be released, but did not say whether that included 50 men sentenced to death after being accused of taking part in an attack on Khartoum in May by Darfur rebels from Justice and Equality Movement.

Sudan has launched a series of legal, diplomatic and political initiatives over Darfur since chief prosecutor of International Criminal Court asked judges to issue an arrest warrant for president Bashir in July.

President Omar al Bashir set up the forum weeks after International Criminal Court prosecutor called for him to be tried for war crimes in Darfur. Many observers saw the new body as part of a diplomatic push to deflect prosecutor's move and to show Sudan could find its own solution to the conflict.

The draft recommendations are to be finalised and formally ratified at a conference, expected to be chaired by president Bashir, in Khartoum on Wednesday.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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