Negotiations resumed between Khartoum and Darfur rebellions
Sudan, Politics, 10/26/2004

A new round of negotiations started yesterday in Abuja, capital of Nigeria, between the Sudanese movement and the two main rebel movements in Darfur which has been witnessing acts of riots that resulted in killing thousands of persons and displacing more than one million persons.

Preliminary work sessions started on Sunday evening, held in Abuja and attended by the Sudanese government delegation and the two rebel movements at the invitation of the African Union. The two sides discussed means of implementing the mechanism of the agreements which were held in Nivasha with the southern rebels over the Darfur negotiations.

Sources close to the negotiations said that an agreement was reached between the sides of the conflict and the mediators to draw the landmarks of negotiations which are due to have started yesterday.

The two rebel movements consider that after signing the protocol, it should be moved to discuss the issue of sharing wealth and authority in Darfur area.

In the security file which seemed more complex, these movements call for the dismantling of al-Jangaweid militias weapons and putting its leaders on trial -- those who are accused of committing crimes against the people of Darfur, while the government demands gathering the militias of the rebel forces in one place and dismantling their weapons.

Well informed sources stressed that there is hope to achieve progress in these negotiations, especially as the UN and the African Union stressed the need of putting an end to the Darfur crisis.

In another development, officials in the African Union and the UN said that two new groups of rebels emerged in Darfur and they are threatening of more obstruction of the international peace efforts in the troubled area in west Sudan.

Worthy mentioning that the higher representative for the foreign policy at the European Union, Javier Solana, made two days ago talks with the Sudanese officials in Khartoum over the situation in Darfur. These talks came after his announcement that the EU will finance more than one half of the peace mission spending carried out by the African Union in Darfur.

Previous Stories:
  Inter-Sudanese negotiations postponed   (10/22/2004)
  Washington calls for international cooperation to end Darfur crisis   (10/22/2004)
  African forces in Darfur   (10/21/2004)

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