The Sudanese government in Khartoum signed a "security cooperation agreement" with Chad. The agreement calls for mutual support to combat smuggling and "armed banditry." Meanwhile, in Khartoum and Omdurman, student protests erupted against the Islamic government.
September 28; The SPLA rebels in southern Sudan, led by John Garang, rejected a peace plan proposed by Egypt and Libya on 1 Sept as failing to meet the requirements of the SPLA for defacto independence and control over the southern region's oil reserves.--Stephen V Cole
September 26; Sudanese government sources reported 5 southern Sudanese were killed in the Stables suburb south of Khartoum when a dissident from the Popular National Forces (PNF), a pro-government "militia", tossed a hand grenade into a militia camp. The five killed were said to be members of the United Democratic Salvation Front (USDF), an anti-SPLA faction of southerners, led by Riek Machar, a former aide to SPLA chief John Garang. The Sudanese government said two of the dead came from the Nuer tribe, two from the Dinka, and one from the Nuba.
September 21; Three weeks after the Khartoum government celebrated Sudan's first oil exports, the National Democratic Alliance (umbrella opposition group) announced that it had destroyed a section of the pipeline in northern Sudan. The section, near the town of Atbara, was blown up on September 19. The Sudanese Army reported that an "insignia of the Liberation Army" (military wing of the Umma Party) was found at the site of the blast. The Umma Party belongs to the NDA.
September 18; The Sudan government said a large battle occurred in the northeast town of Kassala (near the Eritrean border) between Sudan's "northern opposition" and Sudan government forces. The Sudanese government said the rebels launched an attack on government positions.
September 16; The main Sudanese rebel organization issued another press release denying any impending meeting between Sudan's president Omar al-Beshir and Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) guerrilla leader, John Garang. The SPLA has also begun using the initials SPLM/A, for Sudan Peple's Lberation Movement/Army. The SPLM/A is a member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). SPLM/A spokesmen also denied charges by the Khartoum government that the SPLA had violated a ceasefire in Bahd al-Ghazal. The same spokesman said Sudanese government forces and Islamic militias conducted several attacks near the souther Sudanese towns of Wau and Aweil, killing two dozen people.
September 11; SPLA leader John Garang has called off direct meetings with the Khartoum government.
September 9; SPLA rebel leader Col. John Garang announced that he is ready to hold "direct talks" with Sudan's President Omar al-Beshir.
