NAIROBI, Dec 5: The two top negotiators in south Sudan's peace process are due to meet on Monday in a push to reach a comprehensive deal aimed at ending Africa's longest civil war ahead of a Dec 31 deadline, aides said.

Sudanese First Vice President Ali Osman Taha was due to meet John Garang, leader of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) in the Kenyan town of Naivasha to iron out issues blocking a final deal to end Sudan's 21-year war.

"We are here hoping that this is the last round of talks," said deputy chief negotiator and Minister for Federal Relations Nafie Ali Nafie. "We hope to meet the deadline, because firstly we are both committed to do that and secondly, the issues remaining are not difficult to handle, we believe we can wrap them up," he told reporters on arrival with Taha in Nairobi.

Garang said on Friday he was confident of reaching and signing a comprehensive peace deal with the Khartoum government by the end of the year. -Reuters