Quotes of the Day

The people of Sudan had cause for celebration on New Year's Eve. Negotiators in Naivasha, Kenya, announced that after 21 years of civil war, Sudan's Islamic government and rebels from the largely Christian and animist south had hammered out the final details of a peace deal. The agreement, to be signed on Jan. 9, will give the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement a share of political power and oil wealth during a six-year transition period, after which the south can hold a referendum on whether to secede. "Africa begins the year 2005 on a very good footing," said South African President Thabo Mbeki, who helped close the deal. "Let's party!"

But few believe this will end Sudan's problems. Two decades of fighting have turned southern Sudan into a wasteland, yet nearly a third of the 3.5 million people displaced by the war are expected to return there this year. The deal doesn't address the conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan, which some have called genocide. "Unless Congress sees movement on Darfur, and fast, they're not going to be in the mood to appropriate a lot of money for the rest of Sudan," says U.S. Ambassador William Bellamy. "I'd go ahead and drink a glass or two of champagne, but with the understanding that you have to get up in the morning and work on Darfur."

• STEPHAN FARIS
• Will giving rebels a share of power bring peace to Sudan?