Sudanese peace talks open amid disagreement over African troops

ABUJA, Aug 23 (AFP) — African Union-sponsored peace talks between Sudan’s government and rebel leaders from its war-torn Darfur region began amid disagreement over the deployment of peacekeepers.

AU chairman, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, declared the talks open in front of senior officials and observers from several African countries who had gathered hoping to head off a mounting humanitarian crisis in Darfur, where at least 30,000 people have died and more than one million been displaced in 18 months of conflict.

“The eyes of the world are on the region,” Obasanjo said, reminding delegates that the United Nations security council has given Sudan until the end of the month to restore security or face the prospect of international sanctions.

“The waiting cannot be indefinite, in the face of the suffering of thousands of innocent men, women and children in Darfur. We cannot afford to fail,” he said, insisting on Africa’s responsibilty in the crisis.

But even before the open-ended encounter had got underway, there were signs of disagreement between the Khartoum government delegation and the AU leadership over the issue of sending foreign troops to protect civilians in Darfur.

Asked if Sudan would allow the AU to beef up its 300-strong contingent protecting ceasefire monitors to a full 2,000-strong peace mission, the head of the government delegation said: “I don’t think that will be necessary.”

Agriculture Minister Majzoub al-Khalifa said that his team had come to Abuja to begin political talks, but that “simultaneously we are going to disarm the rebel movement, the Janjaweed and the other militias.”

On the eve of the talks Obasanjo had said in a television interview that Khartoum had been dragging its feet on the issue of the Janjaweed, a pro-government militia of Arab gunmen accused of massacres against civilians.

The Nigerian leader has said that the proposed AU force would be better placed to disarm the rebels, once a working peace process was in place.

“The government’s argument is ‘If we disarm them before the rebels what will happen?’ But who is to disarm the rebels, those who armed the Janjaweed? This is where I believe that the effort of the AU will be necessary,” he said.

“And that is why, in the first instance, we took up our protection force, in addition to the observer team,” Obasanjo said.

Despite the difference of opinion over the future role of the AU troops, delegates and observers expressed confidence that progress would be made, although they warned the talks might last several days.

“At least let’s get the talks started, that’s what we are hoping,” said Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Olu Adeniji.

But he confirmed: “Our ultimate plan is that if things go well, and with the understanding of the Sudanese government, is to have a force vastly superior to the 300 in place.”

At the opening ceremony, the chairman of the AU commission chairman, Alpha Oumar Konare, and a representative speaking on behalf of Chad’s President Idriss Deby also spoke in favour of increasing the force.

Following the opening ceremony, the leaders went into closed session to meet with the Sudanese government and representatives of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and Equality and Justice Movement (JEM).

The rebels — some of who arrived in military fatigues — are calling for a negotiated solution which would see a greater share of Sudan’s economic and political power shift to their region.

But delegates did not expect rapid progress on the core political issues.

“We’d like to agree the agenda of the meeting, and then move on,” said talks “facilitator” Ali Abdusalam Treki, personal envoy of Libyan leader Moamer Khadafi. Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa called for patience.

The United Nations reports that more than one million people have been driven from their homes in 18 months of fighting and that more than 30,000 have been killed, many of them in Janjaweed raids against unarmed villagers.

The talks began as Sudan’s handling of the crisis in Darfur came under intense international scrutiny.

Britain’s foreign minister, Jack Straw, was due in Sudan on Monday and his Dutch counterpart, Bernard Bot, is expected to follow him later in the week on behalf of the rotating European Union presidency.