Darfur peace talks to open Tuesday – Mediators

Nov 28, 2005 (KHARTOUM) — Peace talks to end Sudan’s Darfur conflict will begin on Tuesday, delayed at the request of all parties, the African Union said on Monday, as violence plagues a huge humanitarian operation on the ground.

The talks were scheduled to begin on November 21, but were delayed unofficially for one week to allow for mediation between two leaders of the main rebel group, the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), who both claim the presidency of the movement.

“At the request of all the Sudanese sides, the talks will officially open on Tuesday afternoon,” an AU spokesman in Khartoum said.

Both rebel leaders agreed to attend the talks and the AU flew them to Abuja. The government delegation was due to leave on Monday for the Nigerian capital where the seventh round of the AU-sponsored talks will open.

Six previous rounds have agreed on little other than a declaration of principles between the two main Darfur rebel groups and the government. Observers have said they see little hope for success for this round after a split in the SLA leadership earlier this month.

But the AU said it hoped progress would be made this round.

“It is the hope of the special envoy, the AU mediation as well as the international partners that this round will be a decisive one,” an AU statement, seen by Reuters on Monday, said.

Tens of thousands have been killed and more than 2 million forced from their homes during more than 2-1/2 years of conflict, called genocide by the United States. Khartoum denies genocide but the International Criminal Court is investigating alleged war crimes in the region.

In continued fighting on the ground more than 15,000 Darfuris, mostly from the non-Arab Massaleit tribe, have been forced from their homes to Gereida in South Darfur, according to the International Committee for the Red Cross.

It was not clear who is fighting in Gereida, but SLA have fought the second smaller group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), in the area previously. There were also reports of inter-tribal fighting in the area, the United Nations said.

Infighting between SLA factions was also reported on the border between North and South Darfur, the United Nations said in a report.

Many roads remain closed to U.N. traffic in Darfur because of continued banditry. More than 11,000 aid workers are in Darfur in one of the world’s largest humanitarian operations.

Text of African Union Press Release

(Reuters)