INTERVIEW-West Sudan rebel leader sees little hope for talks

By Opheera McDoom

CAIRO, Dec 12 (Reuters) – A Sudanese rebel commander said on Friday the government was not serious about peace talks to end a new conflict in the west of Africa’s largest country.

Rebels began revolts in the poor western Darfur region in February, as southern rebels and the Khartoum government moved to end two decades of war that has killed about two million people.

A leader of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), one of two main Darfur rebel groups, was pessimistic about peace talks with the government which were delayed by four days and were now due to restart in Chad on December 14.

“The government still is not respecting the ceasefire and we cannot see there will be a good result (in talks) because…they are not serious to negotiate,” secretary-general of the SLA, Minni Arcua Minnawi, told Reuters in an interview.

The SLA signed a ceasefire with Khartoum in September, but both sides have since accused the other of violations.

The United Nations says more 600,000 have been displaced by the Darfur conflict this year, and analysts say the trouble could develop into another civil war and undermine any agreement in the south.

Sudan’s main southern rebel group said on Tuesday it expected to sign a framework peace deal with the government this month.

Minnawi, 34, said his movement had similar aims to the other main Darfur rebels, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), but stressed he did not share JEM’s desire for autonomy in Darfur.

“Darfur is part of Sudan. We want Sudan united…with a government elected by all the people,” he said. “We do not want separation or autonomy for any of Sudan.”

Minnawi said Sudan was ruled by a dictatorship that sidelined Darfur and said he wanted a true democracy, more human rights and equal opportunities for all Sudanese.