Sudan rebels meet African Union ahead of Darfur talks

ABUJA, Dec 10 (AFP) — Darfur’s rebel leaders held preliminary talks with African Union mediators in Abuja on Friday ahead of the latest round of peace negotiations on the crisis in the western Sudanese region.

AU officials said that a Sudanese government delegation was expected to arrive in the Nigerian capital later in the day and that the conference would be formally opened at a ceremony in the early evening.

“The pre-talks consulations have commenced. We are meeting with the representatives of the two rebel movements,” said AU spokesperson Assane Ba.

Two armed opposition groups — the Justice and Quality Movement and the Sudan Liberation Movement — have been represented in at the previous two rounds of talks with the Khartoum government over the fighting in Darfur.

It was not immediately clear on Friday whether a recently identified third rebel group, the Reform and Development Movement, would take part in the latest talks as has been reported.

The Abuja talks are aimed at resolving a conflict which is estimated to have killed 70 000 people and driven more than a million from their homes since rebels rose up against the government in February 2003.

On Thursday, the United Nations said that its envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk, “fears that this round of negotiations … is headed for failure if the parties do not show restraint” and accused the government of breaching a ceasefire.

But African officials have expressed confidence that their talks will make progress towards a political settlement.

Rebels in Darfur rose up against Khartoum 22 months ago, accusing the Arab-led government of marginalising Darfur’s mainly black African population and demanding political autonomy and a greater share of Sudan’s oil wealth.