VARIOUS: U.N calls on government and rebels to end Darfur fighting at talks

U.N. makes rallying call to all members of fragmented Darfur rebel groups and the government of Sudan to participate in peace talks. U.N. envoy for Darfur Jan Eliasson on Thursday (October 11) urged all of the more than a dozen fractured Darfur rebel factions to attend the talks due to start in Libya on October 27, calling it a "moment of truth" to end the violence which has created one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters. "We hope that these talks will be talks that are characterized by inclusiveness, we want to have an inclusive approach, " Eliasson said at a news conference. Some rebel leaders have said they would not go unless only one delegation from the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and one from the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) is to talk with Khartoum. But with more than a dozen factions since last year's May peace deal, signed by only one group, that is unlikely to happen. Eliasson said preconditions would only undermine the talks. "We know that there have been statements of intentions of staying out of the talks, Abdul Wahid's absence has been underlined by many as a problem, but we still claim and say very clearly that the doors are opened," Eliasson added. Abdel Wahed Mohamed el-Nur, the SLA founder with huge popular support, said he would not attend the talks until a U.N. force was deployed to stem the violence, which has exploded with civilians, African Union peackeepers, militias and rebels caught up in clashes in southern Darfur with dozens killed. Sudan ambassador to Uganda, James Onge Aremo, said the SPLM, the political wing of the southern rebel movement which fought the Khartoum government for more than 20 years, have withdrawn their members from the national coaltion government. "I am sure they will come to their senses, all of us need peace in the Sudan, no one needs war, we don't want to go back to war again, we need things to be solved amicably especially when all of us want to make unity attractive, such solutions must be reached," he said. On Thursday, Minni Arcua Minnawi, the head of the SLA rebel group, the only rebel faction to sign the 2006 deal called for an international investigation into an attack on their forces in Muhajiriya, South Darfur where at least 45 were killed and dozens injured. The Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) blames Sudan's army for the attack, although it has denied any involvement. The attack on Muhajiriya was the latest in an upsurge of violence in southern Darfur after the worst attack on African Union peacekeepers since they deployed, killing and wounding at least 20 and destroying their base in Haskanita. A U.N. statement said "tens of civilians were killed and wounded, and tens are reported missing, including children". "This is the moment of truth, do we want to go the path of peace, haven't we seen enough of violence and hopelessness," added Eliasson. Mostly non-Arabs took up arms in early 2003 accusing Khartoum of neglect. International experts estimate 200,000 have died and 2.5 million driven from their homes in 4-1/2 years of fighting. Khartoum puts the death toll at 9,000 and says the West has exaggerated the conflict in Darfur.

ITN Source | October 12, 2007

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