Sudan says still keep talking to Darfur rebels

Oct 31, 2006 (GENEVA) — One of Sudan’s top peace negotiators said Tuesday that the government was maintaining talks behind the scenes with dissident rebel groups in Darfur that had not signed up to the Abuja peace agreement.

“We are discussing with them, we never stopped. Since we departed from Abuja, discussions are there with those who have not signed,” Sudanese Culture and Tourism Minister Mohamed Yusif Abdallah told reporters.

In May, the Sudanese government and the largest Darfur rebel faction signed a peace agreement in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

But the deal brokered by the African Union was rejected by other rebel factions and has failed to make much impact on the ground.

“They have sent their representatives to us, and some of their commanders in the field are also discussing with the government,” Abdallah added.

He said the the government was not seeking a military solution to the conflict in Darfur.

“We feel that ending the problem in Darfur is far better than pursuing a military objective or military goal. The military goal is not an objective for us, we feel that it’s more important for us to pursue dialogue than confrontation,” Abdallah said.

Abdallah maintained Sudan’s rejection of a UN peacekeeping force, favouring an extension for the current African Union monitors instead, and insisted the situation in Darfur was generally “far better than before”.

Darfur erupted into civil war in early 2003 when the two main rebel groups rebelled against the Khartoum government seeking regional autonomy, drawing a scorched earth response from the military and its Janjaweed militia allies.

At least 200,000 people have died in the region and more than two million people have fled their homes.

(AFP)