Sudan says Darfur talks end-Feb, rebels not told

KHARTOUM, Feb 20 (Reuters) – The Sudanese government said peace talks to end violence in Darfur would resume at the end of February, but rebels said they had not been told of the date and cast doubt on whether they would go.

Majzoub al-Khalifa, the head of the government negotiating delegation (AP).

“We have received official notification from the African Union that talks are to resume in the Nigerian capital Abuja at the end of the current month,” Majzoub al-Khalifa, the head of the government negotiating delegation, said late on Saturday.

But a spokesman for the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), one of Darfur’s rebel groups, said on Sunday a return to the talks depended on the government creating a “conducive atmosphere”. “We have not received any notification from the African Union (AU) regarding the restarting of the talks,” SLM spokesman Adam Ali Shogar said on Sunday.

The government must within two weeks withdraw from areas it has captured since a much-violated ceasefire and respect a no-fly zone before the rebels would consider a return to talks, he said.

“If the government delivers on its pledges and creates a conducive atmosphere then we will return to talks,” he said.

The United Nations on Friday warned of a new threat of famine in Darfur, where rebels took up arms two years ago. It said as many as 4 million people may soon be in desperate need of life-saving assistance.

Aid workers, relief helicopters and food trucks were under fire from government forces, rebels and militia, the U.N. added.

The Sudanese government called on the international community to exert pressure on rebel groups to resume talks.

“We have respected the ceasefire – primarily for the safety of our own civilians – and grounded our military aircraft in a show of good faith,” Khalifa added in a statement on Saturday.

“Pressure needs to be exerted upon the rebels to ensure the success of these talks.”

The SLA last week said it had spotted a government military plane in northern Darfur.

Darfur rebels began their uprising against Khartoum because of what they said was the government’s marginalisation of the arid province and preferential treatment of Arab tribes.

A Chadian mediator last week said the Sudanese government had respected conditions set by the rebels and a return to peace talks in Abuja was certain.