Darfur rebel says truce with government extended

KHARTOUM, Aug 2 (Reuters) – A ceasefire between Khartoum and rebels in western Sudan, who accuse each other of violating the truce, was extended on Monday, a Darfur rebel said.

The truce, signed on April 8, was automatically renewed because neither the rebels nor the government had raised objections, said Adam Ali Shogar, a senior official in the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement.

“We are committing to the renewal of the ceasefire in spite of the government’s continued violations,” he told Reuters by telephone from N’Djamena.

The Darfur rebels accuse Khartoum of using Arab militias, known as Janjaweed, to crush the rebellion they launched in early 2003. The Janjaweed are accused of attacking civilians in a campaign the U.S. Congress has labelled a genocide.

The U.N. Security Council has given Khartoum 30 days to disarm the militias and prosecute their leaders or face sanctions.

The rebels walked out of African Union mediated peace talks last month because Khartoum did not meet their conditions, which included disarming the Janjaweed.