Sudan warring parties shift talks on political issues

ABUJA, Nigeria, Oct 27, 2004 (PANA) — Parties to the Sudanese peace talks have agreed to defer discussions on the political issues involved in the Darfur crisis to Thursday, after one of the rebel groups opposed plans to table the issues Wednesday, an African Union (AU) official said.

Abdelwahid Al-Nour head of SLM delegation, talks with the media

The official told PANA, at the end of the day’s session at the AU-sponsored talks here, that the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) refused to go along with the Khartoum government and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), the other rebel group, to commence preliminary discussions on the political issues.

“The movement said it was too early to go into the political
issues, it preferred that discussions on the security issues
should be concluded first,” the official said.

After the meeting recessed early Tuesday to give room for
informal consultations on the security item, the discussions
progressed smoothly Wednesday, giving mediators ‘real hope’ the Abuja parley could achieve a breakthrough.

“Oh, the discussions are going on very well and peacefully. All the sides seem to understand the situation better now, there is real hope of resolution now,” the official said.

Meanwhile, the AU working group on security continued meeting
with the movements to hear their disposition to the security
proposal put forward by the union.

The group met the government delegation Wednesday on the same
issue.

AU spokesman Niang Boubou told PANA informal consultations on the issue also continued between the factions.

“They have asked for some more time to consult among themselves, which was given because we believe that it will help the talks,” he said.

The second round of the talks, with a four-point agenda, opened in Abuja Monday.

Though the parties reached an agreement on the humanitarian
issues during the first round in August, the protocol that would have given international aid workers better access to Darfur was not signed.

Rebel groups said they would only sign it if an agreement was
reached on the security issues, because both items are linked.

The talks, which will last three weeks, will also deliberate on social and economic issues.

The fighting between Khartoum and the two rebel groups, which
broke out in Darfur 20 months ago, has left an estimated 70,000 people dead and another 1.5 million internally and externally displaced.