Mediators call key meeting on security in Darfur
By Camillus Eboh
ABUJA, Dec 16 (Reuters) – The African Union could pave the way on Thursday for a restart of the Darfur peace talks in Nigeria if it confirms the government has stopped fighting in the western Sudanese region, mediators said.
Rebel groups suspended formal talks almost as soon as they began on Monday, accusing the government of launching a new offensive against their positions. They said on Thursday they still did not believe the attacks had stopped.
A Nigerian army general in charge of African Union (AU) ceasefire monitors in Darfur is expected to give a report on the situation on the ground at a meeting scheduled for 1500 GMT.
“If the report confirms that Sudan has stopped its offensive in Darfur, then the talks could resume on Friday, because that is all the two rebel movements asked for,” AU spokesman Assane Ba said.
The meeting will also discuss the release of political prisoners by both sides in the two-year-old conflict, which has displaced 1.6 million people and killed tens of thousands.
Khartoum agreed on Wednesday to halt fighting so that the talks, which are aimed at reaching a political agreement after earlier deals on aid and disarmament, could resume.
FRESH ATTACKS
Rebels said they did not expect talks to resume so quickly however, as they reported fresh attacks on Thursday.
“This morning there were fresh attacks in the area of Tawila, about 40 kilometres west of El Fasher, there were attacks in the area of Ishma and Mharijia,” SLM spokesman Bahar Ibrahim said.
There was no immediate comment from Khartoum on halting the offensive.
Rebels said government forces backed by mounted militiamen known as Janjaweed, have repeatedly attacked their positions since Nov. 27 in an offensive they say was designed to undermine the Abuja talks.
A senior Sudanese official said on Wednesday rebels had also attacked a military convoy in recent days and are attacking police in at least one refugee camp.
Earlier this week, the government had given rebels four hours to relocate from 41 camps in the western Darfur region, but the rebels said the ultimatum was a declaration of war.
The 53-member African Union said on Monday ceasefire violations had risen sharply since September, blaming both sides for breaches.
DEC 22 DEADLINE
The AU set a Dec. 22 deadline to conclude talks on a declaration of principles including power sharing, wealth sharing, security, demobilisation and reintegration.
The African Union has sent 900 ceasefire monitors to Darfur and expects to reach the full complement of 3,300 troops by the end of the year.
The German Defence Ministry said two German C-160 Transall aircraft left on Thursday for Gambia where they will begin airlifts next week of 169 Gambian AU soldiers and freight bound for Darfur.
But human rights campaigners have complained of the slow pace of deployment amid the renewed fighting.
The rebels took up arms against the government in February 2003 in protest against what they said was Khartoum’s marginalisation of Darfur, which is the size of France.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said last week Darfur was plagued by banditry, rape and village burnings with 2.3 million people in desperate need of aid.
The World Food Programme said on Tuesday it was unable to reach about 360,000 people in Darfur because of the fighting.
(Additional reporting by Tume Ahemba in Lagos and Erik Kirschbaum in Berlin)