UN envoy calls for resuming Darfur peace talks

KHARTOUM, May 11, 2005 (Xinhua) — The UN envoy to Sudan on Wednesday urged the Sudanese government and Darfur rebels to resume peace talks as soon as possible.

At a press conference, Jan Pronk expressed gladness at the government’s commitment to continuing peace talks without any precondition.

He called on Darfur rebel groups to close ranks to make the next round of peace talks successful.

The two conflicting sides have agreed to upgrade the level of representation in the next round of peace talks due to be held soon in the Nigerian capital Abuja. Previous talks have failed to yield a major breakthrough.

Thousands of people have been killed and over 1 million displaced since Darfur rebels took up arms against the government, accusing it of neglecting the arid region.

The UN official also condemned rampant armed robbery of aid supplies in Darfur, saying such an act would threaten the distribution of aid to the needy in the region.