KHARTOUM, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Just a few days ahead of the first multi-party elections in Sudan in more than 20 years, U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration on Monday started a series of talks in Khartoum with different Sudanese political forces.

Gration met with Sudanese Presidential Adviser Ghazi Salahuddin, who is also in charge of the Darfur file.

"Our talks focused on the general elections and the Darfur crisis," Salahuddin told reporters following the meeting with Gration.

"The U.S. envoy is leading intensive talks with the Sudanese political forces to get acquainted with their positions towards the forthcoming elections," he added.

He stressed the importance of organizing the elections as scheduled on April 11 this year, saying that "we are communicating with all the political forces to narrow the gap of difference, but we are committed to the elections timetable."

In the meantime, Salahuddin downplayed the concerns over the difficulty of organizing the elections at some areas in the restive western Sudanese region of Darfur.
If it has become difficult to organize the elections at some areas in Darfur, complementary elections can be held later. It happened in previous elections," he said.

The U.S. envoy returned to Khartoum on Monday after a short visit to the Qatari capital of Doha, which is hosting the peace talks between the Sudanese government and the Darfur armed movements.

Gration is yet to meet some other Sudanese government officials and leaders of some Sudanese political parties in the day.

He is expected to begin on April 9 a tour that will take him to Darfur and south Sudan to get acquainted with the electoral process there.

During his visit in Sudan last week, the U.S. envoy announced his support for holding the general elections in the African country on time.