HIGHLIGHTS: Sudanese Government Welcomes Offer||SPLA Claims Government Lost 1,000 Men in Latest Attempt to Retake Tourit||UN Grounds Humanitarian Aid to South as Government Closes Air Space in the Region for Nine Days|| STORY: The Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) is ready to order a temporary ceasefire in exchange for a resumption of peace talks which the government broke off earlier this month, a spokesman for the southern rebel movement said.

"The movement maintains its invitation to the government to resume negotiations and is prepared to observe a temporary ceasefire on all Sudanese territory during the talks," SPLA spokesman Yasser Armane told AFP from his base in the Eritrean capital Asmara.

"If the government resumes the negotiations, we are ready to observe days of calm for the duration of the talks -- this a new initiative from the SPLA," Armane said.

The Sudanese government said it welcomed the SPLA's offer of a temporary ceasefire in return for a resumption of peace talks.

A presidential peace advisory panel, representing the government, said in a statement Khartoum's acceptance was aimed at "reaching fruitful results and genuine peace."

The panel laid down two principles: commitment by both parties to their July 20 peace protocol, and agreement on halting hostilities unless the negotiating process was halted.

The Khartoum government has demanded a nationwide ceasefire as its price for resuming peace talks which it abandoned on September 2 in protest at the SPLA's capture of the key southern garrison town of Tourit.

The SPLA, however, claimed the government troops had taken a severe drubbing in Tourit.

"SPLA forces have pushed back the biggest attack of the past three years, which was launched by government forces to retake the town of Torit," Armane told AFP.

"Government losses have hit more than 1,000 dead in six days of fighting," he said.

Government forces have since launched a major offensive against the rebels, including air strikes on civilian areas which sparked a strong condemnation from Washington Thursday.

"Attacks against civilians are unacceptable and must stop now," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.
The United Nations grounded all humanitarian flights to southern Sudan on Friday as the government closed its airspace for nine days in the face of the renewed fighting.

Sudan's humanitarian aid commissioner Sulafeddin Saleh, quoted by the official news agency SUNA, said the suspension covering the regions of Eastern and Western Equatoria was for the safety of relief workers in the south.

Armane, meanwhile, said the SPLA had downed a government helicopter gunship Friday for the second time in a week.

"The aircraft burned with all its crew aboard," the rebel spokesman said, without indicating how many government troops were involved.

For its part, Khartoum denied the SPLA had shot down a Sudanese aircraft on Monday.

The resurgence of the 19-year-old civil war between the Khartoum and the SPLA dashed peace hopes which had been raised by a landmark agreement between the government and the rebels signed in Kenya in July.

PHOTO CAPTION

(L) Sudanese President Omar Al-Basheer.
(Top R) SPLA rebel leader, John Garang.
(Bottom R) SPLA Army. Apart from an 11-year period of peace, it has been torn by civil war between the mainly Muslim north and the Animist and Christian south since independence in 1956. Khartoum on Friday, Sept. 27, 2002 welcomed a rebel offer for 'temporary ceasefire' during peace tal