Mediators give Sudan rebel faction 24 hours to decide humanitarian deal

By GILBERT DA COSTA, Associated Press Writer

ABUJA, Nigeria, Sep 16, 2004 (AP) — With one Sudan rebel group already refusing, African Union mediators gave a second rebel movement a 24-hour deadline Thursday to accept a humanitarian accord meant to ease massive international relief for Sudan’s bloodied Darfur region.

African Union-mediated talks on an overall peace deal for Darfur broke down Wednesday, with no agreement. The separate accord on humanitarian access would be the sole tangible achievement of three weeks of talks in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.

Sudan’s government already has agreed to sign the humanitarian accord. The pact is meant to guarantee international relief efforts and safeguard return of refugees among an estimated 1.2 million people displaced by 19 months of conflict in Darfur.

Sudan’s government and government-allied Arab militia are accused by the United Nations, United States and others of waging a campaign of killing, torture, rape and arson to drive out Darfur’s non-Arab farmers. The violence broke out with the emergence of two rebel groups after February 2003.

One rebel group, the Justice and Equity Movement, has refused to sign the humanitarian accord, and declared Wednesday, with Sudan’s government, that the talks had collapsed.

That faction’s rebels say existing accords already provide for relief efforts, and that it is impossible to do more before the pro-government Janjaweed militia are disarmed.

The second rebel movement, the Sudan Liberation Army, has yet to formally present its position.

“We have therefore given them 24 hours to come up with a position on the matter,” Hamid El Ghadid, head of the African Union mediation team, told reporters after a meeting with the rebel group.

Ghadid said whatever decision taken by the group will be reported to Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday afternoon.

After that, it was “very likely” that mediation efforts would break for four weeks, Ghadid said.

Mohammed Annur, leader of the Sudan Liberation Army, said he wasn’t inclined to sign the agreement but wanted “to consult as many people as possible” before taking a final stand.

“I’m sure by Friday we’d be able to give our formal response to the African Union,” he told The Associated Press.

The talks between the Sudan government and two rebel factions have made virtually no progress since their Aug. 23 launch under sponsorship of the 52-nation union.

Sudan’s government — under increasingly harsh international criticism and some threat of international sanctions — insisted U.S. criticism had been a boost to rebel intransigence.

The rebels have insisted on immediate disbandment of the pro-government Janjaweed militia and their probe for alleged crimes against humanity.

They also rejected proposals to have their fighters encamped as part of the disarmament process, arguing it would expose the insurgents to annihilation by government troops.