Sudan confirms talks with rebels in Darfur

Oct 19, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese government has been holding talks with rebel groups in the western region of Darfur, but they still refuse to sign a peace accord with the government, a Sudanese official announced on Thursday.

“The government continues dialogue with armed elements that have not signed the Darfur Peace Agreement so as to convince them to join the peace process,” presidential advisor Majzoub al-Khalifa told a press conference.

Urging the rebel groups to put down their arms, he said “there is no place for one to fight and negotiate at the same time,” adding that the government was keeping the door open for negotiation with all parties that had not been on board.

Denying media reports on the deteriorating situation in Darfur, the Sudanese official stressed the prevalence of stability in most parts of the region, but acknowledged security problems do exist in seven localities in North Darfur State.

Al-Khalifa said that a Darfurian-Darfurian dialogue conference will be held soon to discuss tribal reconciliation, land, political and development issues, besides conducting a referendum.

He said that the government will continue collecting arms from militias in three stages.

The Sudanese government signed the Darfur Peace Agreement with a main faction of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Minni Arkou Minawi in the Nigerian capital Abuja on May 5.

But other rebel groups, including another SLM faction led by Abdelwahid Mohammed al-Nour and the Justice and Equality Movement led by Khalil Ibrahim, rejected the peace agreement, arguing the agreement had failed to meet all their demands.

Since then, sporadic fightings have reportedly taken place between government forces and militants of Minawi’s SLM faction on one side and other rebel groups on the other.

(Xinhua)