A YOUNG SUDANESE WOMAN AND HER CHILD PREPARE AN EVENING MEAL IN RUMBEK, 2003-09-30 (photo)

A southern Sudanese woman and her child prepare an evening meal September 30, 2003, while armed with a Kalashnikov in a homestead in Rumbek, 900 kilometres from Khartoum. Sudan's People Liberation Army (SPLA) leader John Garang visited the town to update the residents on the progress made in peace talks aimed at ending Africa's oldest civil war. Garang said that the SPLA favoured a rotational presidency during the six year interim period, before the southern rebels and Khartoum meet in Kenya to resolve the remaining power-, wealth sharing and the conflict regions on October 6. REUTERS/Patrick Olum PO/JDP