This new Presidency "marks a first step in the effective implementation of the Nairobi peace accord of January 9, 2005," the French Foreign Ministry said.

"This is an important moment for Sudan, longtime stricken by war, and it is liable to put the country back on the road to peace and stability," spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said.

The return to Sudans capital, Khartoum, of southern rebel leader John Garang "augurs well," as he is currently First Deputy President of the Sudanese Republic within the framework of the Nairobi accords.

France called on "all the Sudanese parties to fully put in place all the articles of the Nairobi accord in order to anchor, in a lasting way, the peace in the south of the Country."

France also urged the parties involved in the conflict in the western Darfur region to take example from the Nairobi process and reach a final agreement themselves.

Political talks are sporadically held in Aruja, Nigeria, to try to settle the Darfur problem, which has killed as many as 200,000 people, mainly civilians, and has displaced over two million refugees.

The International Criminal Court has also established a list of about 50 Sudanese war criminals, the bulk of them linked with the government and its militias, and wants action taken for massive abuses of human rights in Darfur, including summary killings, a massive rape campaign, torture and other crimes.

France, a founding member of the court, could not confirm if the ICC had issued warrants against the war criminals.