SUDAN-TANZANIA: Darfur peace talks to resume on 15 September

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

DAR ES SALAM, 24 Aug 2005 (IRIN) - Peace talks between the Sudanese government and the two main rebel groups in the western Sudanese region of Darfur are to resume on 15 September, the African Union (AU) special envoy for the region, Salim Ahmed Salim, said on Wednesday.

"The decision to resume the talks in [the Nigerian capital] Abuja was taken after three days of consultations between the parties," Salim told reporters in Tanzania's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

"The consultations went on very well and the parties declared their determination to achieve a conclusive agreement by the end of the year," Salim added. He was flanked by delegates from the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudanese Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A).

AU-mediated talks, hosted by the current president of the pan-African body, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, re-started in June after a six-month break, but a month of negotiations resulted in little progress between the warring factions.

Salim said the talks had been scheduled to resume on 24 August, but one of the rebel groups demanded they be postponed. The death of former Sudanese First Vice President John Garang had also affected the swift resumption of the negotiations.

The SLM/A had called for the delay of the talks until after their political congress aimed at resolving the differences within the rebel group's leadership; the congress was scheduled to take place in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, on Wednesday.

The Sudanese government has condemned the call, saying it was contrary to the interests of peace.

"The AU appeals to all the parties, facilitators and observers to ensure effective participation in the talks at the highest level in order to find a speedy resolution of the conflict in Darfur," Salim said.

The talks - on the substantive issues of power- and wealth-sharing and security arrangements - would be preceded by three days of workshops on the importance of the peace process and national consensus in Sudan, Salim added.

He noted that the AU was determined to play its role and increase the number of peacekeeping troops in Darfur to 7,000 by the end of September.

Salim said: "We insist that parties respect and implement earlier agreements and protocols on ceasefire. This will speed up the process and sustain international efforts in bringing to an end the suffering of the people of Sudan."

"Since the signing of the ceasefire agreement the situation has generally been calm," he added, although he acknowledged that sporadic fighting had continued to occur in Darfur.

The deputy chief negotiator of the JEM, Tageldin Nyam, told reporters he was happy with the outcome of the informal talks and said his group remained committed to the creation of a new era in Sudan.

"We want to see an end to suffering, where there will be no discrimination in accessing services on the basis of colour, race, religion or tribe. The objective is to have a comprehensive agreement by the end of the year," Nyam said.

The head of foreign affairs of the SLM/A, Ahmed Yatoub, echoed Nyam's sentiments, and said his group wanted peace, justice and prosperity for all Sudanese as soon as possible.

"We are committed to the process," he said.

The war in Darfur began in February 2003 and pits Sudanese government troops and militias allegedly allied to the government, against rebels fighting to end what they describe as the marginalisation of and discrimination against the region's inhabitants by the state.

[ENDS]