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ARUSHA, Tanzania, Aug 11 (AFP) - Organisation of African Unity (OAU) secretary-general Salim Ahmed Salim said Tuesday the 11-day-old ceasefire in the Rwandan civil raised hopes for an early settlement of the conflict.
"We should not let this chance slip between our hands," Salim said in his opening address to the second round of peace talks between the Rwandan government and rebel Rwanda Patriotic Front.
The latest round of negotiations is aimed at clearing deep-rooted differences between the two sides before reaching a peace accord, whose implementation is slated to start in January.
The ceasefire in the 22-month war was agreed upon during last month's round of peace talks held in this northern Tanzanian town.
Salim said an OAU team had inspected the regions of Mutara, Byumba and Ruhengeri and reported that there had been no violations of the internationally-brokered ceasefire that took effect on midnight July 31.
He urged the two sides to strenghthen the truce by creating a congenial and brotherly atmosphere, which would serve as an inspiration to their respective forces in the field to maintain peace.
Rwandan foreign minister Boniface Ngulinzira appealed for an end to the civil war that has left thousands of people dead and forced tens of thousands others to live as refugees in neighbouring countries,
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