AU to continue to try to bring Darfur rebels back to table

ABUJA, Dec 14 (AFP) — African Union (AU) mediators said they would continue efforts to bring Sudanese rebels back to negotiating table on the Darfur crisis.

A displaced Sudanese woman carries a bucket of water in the Abu Shouk camp on the outskirts of the northern Darfur town of El-Fasher.. (AFP).

Representatives of the two main armed opposition groups — the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) — on Monday withdrew from the AU-sponsored talks in Abuja accusing the Khartoum government of planning a massive offensive in the violence-ridden region and constant ceasefire violations.

“By 10 am (0900 GMT) tomorrow (Wednesday), we will meet with JEM and by noon, we will meet with the government delegation. The consultations are going on,” AU spokesman Assane Ba said.

AU mediators earlier Tuesday afternoon met with the SLM delegation, but with no apparent success.

At the end of the meeting, SLM spokesman Bahar Ibrahim said “there is no new development. Nothing has changed on the ground to make us continue with the talks. The government offensive has not stopped.”

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.

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.