Sudan govt, Darfur rebels in Nigeria for peace talks

ABUJA, Nigeria, June10, 2005 (AP) — Sudanese government and Darfur rebel delegates launched their latest peace effort on Friday, meeting in Nigeria for talks aimed at calming a two-year conflict that has killed tens of thousands of civilians and sent hundreds of thousands of others fleeing their homes.

Internally displaced Sudanese line up to fill their water containers at the Abu Shouk camp, home of some 100,000 refugees in Sudan’s troubled western province of Darfur May 25, 2005. (Reuters).

Sudanese officials and top leaders from the two main rebel groups fighting government forces and allied militia in Darfur met in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, for their fifth round of as-yet unsuccessful peace talks.

“The government delegation is ready, capable and able to negotiate,” Mohammed Yusuf, Sudan’s Deputy Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, told The Associated Press ahead of the meeting. “It remains to be seen about the others.”

A series of peace accords and cease-fire pacts signed so far have failed to end violence in the western region of Darfur, where more than 180,000 are estimated dead. Hundreds of thousands of other Sudanese have fled into the bush or relief camps in Darfur or neighboring Chad.

The conflict began when mainly ethnic African rebels launched a February 2003 uprising aimed at gaining autonomy from the Khartoum government. Sudan’s Arab-dominated government and pro-government Arab tribal fighters are accused of launching coordinated attacks on ethnic African farmers in retaliation.

Sudan denies targeting civilians or allying with the so-called Janjaweed militia – whom some have accused of committing the 21st century’s first genocide.

Sudanese officials have said the government is determined to resolve the Darfur crisis this time around. But they also have expressed concern an announcement this week that the International Criminal Court had begun investigating alleged war crimes in Darfur could be seen as anti-government and prompt the rebels to harden their positions going into the peace talks.

Sudan Wednesday reiterated it would not hand any of its subjects over for trial outside the country.

The 53-nation African Union brokering the peace parley will also try to end fighting among rebels, united in their opposition to the government but divided over their vision of the region’s future.

The African Union plans to boost its 2,270 Darfur peacekeeping force with another 5,000 troops have been bogged down by logistical problems and a lack of support in the region, which is the size of France.

The last round of talks ended in November with a government promise to ban “hostile” military flights over Darfur, but rights groups say fresh bombing raids were launched on Darfur during and after the talks. Sudan’s government is also accused of intimidating international aid workers.