Sudan's First-Vice President Salva Kiir Mayardit said in Khartoum Saturday that the Sudanese Government of National Unity remained committed to a peaceful solution to the Darfur conflict, the Sudanese news agency reported.

Mayardit, also President of autonomous government in southern Sudan, made the commitments at a meeting with a visiting delegation of the International Monitory Fund (IMF).

He stressed that Khartoum is keen to solve the conflict and realize security, stability and development in the country's western region of Darfur, where two rebel groups took up arms against the government three years ago, accusing it of neglect.

Mayardit succeeded John Garang as leader of former southern rebel group the Sudan people's Liberation Movement (SPLM) after Garang was killed in a helicopter crash last August.

Garang signed a comprehensive peace deal with the Sudanese government in January 2005 to end a 21-year civil war.

Mayardit said that the SPLM would help speed up the Darfur peace talks between the Sudanese government and the Darfur rebels in the Nigerian capital of Abuja by using their experiences.

Mayardit briefed the IMF delegation on the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement, stressing the Sudanese government's commitment to the policy of transparency on the public budget and oil revenues in particular.

In addition, Sudanese Minister of Finance and National Economy al-Zubeir Ahmed al-Hassan, who also attended the meeting, said Mayardit underlined the need to write off the country's debts.

Source: Xinhua