Sudan's government and the country's main rebel group on Friday resumed peace talks in Kenya on an agreement to end two decades of civil war after they failed to reach a deal before the new year, delegates said.
Sudanese first Vice President Ali Osman Taha and the chairman of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) had adjourned talks in Naivasha, 80 km (50 miles) north-west of the Kenyan capital Nairobi, for one day on Thursday to mark the New Year and Sudan's independence day.
"The two leaders have resumed talks this morning, after a one day break", chief mediator Lazarus Sumbeiywo told Reuters.
On Monday, Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir said he expected a final peace deal within a week, but analysts say outstanding disputes in the war splitting Africa's biggest country mean this deadline appears optimistic.
The latest round of peace talks between the government and SPLA began in early 2002, but they do not cover a separate rebellion in western Sudan.