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Darfur talks in limbo
17/07/2004 16:09 - (SA)
Addis Ababa - The African Union's (AU) efforts to mediate peace between the Sudanese government and two rebel groups in western Darfur region failed to make headway on Saturday as rebels insisted their demands must be met before they would start negotiating with Khartoum.
Special UN envoy Mohamed Sahnoun said the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) had refused to enter into direct negotiations since Thursday, unless their preconditions were fully met.
"The rebels refused any negotiation, unless their demands are implemented," Sahnoun said in Addis Ababa, as mediators shuttled between the two sides trying to breath life into the nearly-doomed meeting.
"We have decided to work on the confidence-building process and to issue a statement on this meeting, which is over, but separate consultations will continue throughout the day," Sahnoun added.
Chief among rebel preconditions was a demand that Khartoum pull its regular forces and allied militia from the region, which, after 17 months of conflict, is in the throes of what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
"We are going to stay tonight (Saturday) and tommorrow (Sunday) and if they need us they can call us," JEM coordinator Ahmed Tugod Lissan told journalist after meeting the mediators.
"We are open for any direct political dialogue in future if the government's commitments are translated into deeds and confirmed by the international community," Lissan explained.
"We are calling on the international community to intervene to avert the crisis in Darfur, if the Sudanese government fails to fulfil its commitments," Lissan explained.
Lissan was also speaking on behalf of the SLM/A, another rebel group that has been fighting in the region since February 2003, in a war that has claimed at least 10 000 lives and displaced more than a million others.
"We have no reason to meet the government for political discussions which (may) lead us to a peace settlement when the government is not implementing the demands of the international community (and) while the Janjawid, supported by the government, are killing innocent people on the ground," JEM spokesperson Ahmed Hussein Adam said.
The rebels also insisted that Khartoum step up efforts to counter Darfur's humanitarian crisis, where a major famine is looming, and recommit itself to an April 8 ceasefire - which both sides are accused of violating.
They further called for an investigation into war crimes, such as "ethnic cleansing", and the prosecution of all perpetrators.
Meanwhile, aid agencies warned on Friday that the onset of rains had severely hampered efforts to help thousands of displaced people in Darfur and across the border in Chad.
World Health Organisations has also warned that a major health catastrophe could erupt in Darfur if the necessary funds and supplies were not made available to fight disease and malnutrition.
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