Sudan rebels may lose support
2005-11-23 08:52
Khartoum - A top United Nations envoy blamed a Darfur rebel group for holding up a crucial round of negotiations, warning on Tuesday that it would lose international sympathy if it obstructs peace efforts.
Secretary-general Kofi Annan's representative to Sudan, Jan Pronk, said the negotiating round that had been due to start on Monday would be held on November 28.
He warned that if the Sudan Liberation Army failed to attend, it could "forget about any political or moral support" from the international community.
He said the Sudanese government and the other main rebel group in Darfur, the Justice and Equality Movement, had agreed to attend the talks, due to be held in Abuja, Nigeria.
He said but, the SLA had yet to overcome internal splits to join the round.
Humanitarian aid
Annan warned on Monday that Darfur faced an increasing threat of anarchy, unless the government and rebels concluded a peace agreement by the end of the year.
In his monthly report to the UN security council, Annan said "a dangerous increase" in violence in Darfur that begun in September, and continued in October, was seriously affecting the delivery of humanitarian aid, and had claimed the lives of civilians and five members of the 6 700-strong African Union peacekeeping force.
The Darfur conflict begun in February 2003 after rebel groups took up arms against the government, accusing it of neglect and repression of Sudanese of African origin.
The government was accused of supporting a counter-insurgency led by an Arab militia known as the Janjaweed, which had been blamed for widespread killing, rape and arson.
Conflict claims 180 000 people
The Sudanese government denied backing the Janjaweed. The UN estimated that 180 000 people had died in the conflict, mainly through famine and disease.
Several million more had either fled into neighbouring Chad or inside Sudan.
The peace talks, entering their seventh round, had been hampered by a leadership fight and factional split within the SLA, the biggest Darfur rebel group.
Earlier this month, one SLA leader, Minni Minnawi, organised a congress in which he was elected president, removing Abdel Wahid Nur as chairperson. Since then, both had claimed leadership.
On Saturday, US assistant secretary of state for Africa, Jendayi E Frazer, met both leaders in al-Fasher, the capital of South Darfur, to press for a unified position ahead of the talks. But, the dispute remained unresolved.
- AP