Sudan troops not yet complying with African Union ceasefire order: AU

ABUJA, Dec 18 (AFP) — Sudanese government troops have not yet began to withdraw from positions seized in a recent offensive against rebels in the Darfur region as demanded in an African Union ultimatum, a senior AU diplomat told AFP on Saturday.

General Festus Okonkwo, AU commander in Darfur. (AP)

“As of 12 o’clock (1100 GMT) today they had not complied. We are still going to check again since we gave them until 6.00pm,” said Sam Ibok, who is chairman of the political negotiations at the Africa Union’s Darfur peace conference in Abuja.

On Friday an AU ceasefire committee gave both the government and the rebels an ultimatum to halt their latest operations in the wartorn western region of Darfur or risk seeing the internationally-mediated peace talks collapse.

The African and international officials observing the talks are due to be briefed at 6.00pm, after which delegates from the warring parties will be invited to a full talks session at 9.00pm to decide on the future of the conference, AU officials said.

Separately, the chairman of the commission of the African Union Alphan Oumar Konare issued a statement from his office in Addis Abeba criticising both parties for carrying out “large-scale violations of the ceasefire” which was signed between the parties in April in the Chadian capital Ndjamena.

“In particular he condemns the military operation launched by the government of Sudan on the eve of the fourth round of the Inter-Sudanese Peace Talks on the crisis in Darfur, which contributed to undermining the negotiation process in Abuja,” the statement said.

Darfur’s two main rebel groups suspended their participation in the talks on Tuesday after accusing the government of advancing on their positions. AU officials say that if the body’s observer force in Darfur cannot confirm the start of a government pull-back on Saturday then the talks will be halted.