Fresh deadline for Darfur rebels
The African Union (AU) has extended by 14 days a deadline for two of Darfur's smaller rebel groups to sign a peace deal, or face possible UN sanctions.
The AU also said it wanted the UN to take control of the peacekeeping force in Darfur as soon as possible. Sudan wants the AU to stay in charge.
Darfur's biggest rebel group earlier this month signed a peace deal aimed at ending three years of conflict.
At least 200,000 people have died and some 2m have fled their homes.
Concessions
Abdel Wahid Mohammed al-Nur, who heads a faction of the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA), and Khalil Ibrahim, of the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem), have said they want more concessions from Sudan before they agree to the deal agreed in Nigeria.
Mr Nur on Monday told the BBC that he wanted to be made a vice-president. Last year, a southern rebel leader was made vice-president after reaching a deal to end a separate conflict.
AU members said on Monday that they would urge the UN to take action against the smaller rebel groups if they did not meet the new, 31 May deadline.
A spokesman for the AU, Nigerian Foreign Minister Olu Adeinji, told the AFP news agency the rebels' failure to sign the deal would "indicate their non-commitment to the peace process".
Darfur's biggest rebel group, the main faction of the SLA, agreed to the deal earlier this month.
The agreement, struck after lengthy negotiations, calls for the disbandment of rebel forces and the disarmament of the pro-government Janjaweed militia.
Sudan's government had hinted that it might drop its objections to the United Nations taking over from the 7,000 poorly equipped and under-funded AU troops in Darfur when a peace deal was reached.
But Foreign Minister Lam Akol said his government still rejects the transfer of the peacekeeping operation but would now enter into dialogue directly with the UN.
Humanitarian crisis
The rebels took up arms in February 2003, accusing the government of discriminating against Darfur's black Africans in favour of Arabs.
The United States says the army and the Janjaweed then unleashed a "genocide" in Darfur, driving people from their homes and still attacking them in refugee camps.
Aid agencies say Darfur is one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. A lack of money and insecurity means aid workers cannot reach parts of the region.
Sudan denies arming the Arab militias and says the problems have been exaggerated.
The AU also said it wanted the UN to take control of the peacekeeping force in Darfur as soon as possible. Sudan wants the AU to stay in charge.
Darfur's biggest rebel group earlier this month signed a peace deal aimed at ending three years of conflict.
At least 200,000 people have died and some 2m have fled their homes.
Concessions
Abdel Wahid Mohammed al-Nur, who heads a faction of the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA), and Khalil Ibrahim, of the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem), have said they want more concessions from Sudan before they agree to the deal agreed in Nigeria.
Mr Nur on Monday told the BBC that he wanted to be made a vice-president. Last year, a southern rebel leader was made vice-president after reaching a deal to end a separate conflict.
AU members said on Monday that they would urge the UN to take action against the smaller rebel groups if they did not meet the new, 31 May deadline.
A spokesman for the AU, Nigerian Foreign Minister Olu Adeinji, told the AFP news agency the rebels' failure to sign the deal would "indicate their non-commitment to the peace process".
Darfur's biggest rebel group, the main faction of the SLA, agreed to the deal earlier this month.
The agreement, struck after lengthy negotiations, calls for the disbandment of rebel forces and the disarmament of the pro-government Janjaweed militia.
Sudan's government had hinted that it might drop its objections to the United Nations taking over from the 7,000 poorly equipped and under-funded AU troops in Darfur when a peace deal was reached.
But Foreign Minister Lam Akol said his government still rejects the transfer of the peacekeeping operation but would now enter into dialogue directly with the UN.
Humanitarian crisis
The rebels took up arms in February 2003, accusing the government of discriminating against Darfur's black Africans in favour of Arabs.
The United States says the army and the Janjaweed then unleashed a "genocide" in Darfur, driving people from their homes and still attacking them in refugee camps.
Aid agencies say Darfur is one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. A lack of money and insecurity means aid workers cannot reach parts of the region.
Sudan denies arming the Arab militias and says the problems have been exaggerated.
posted by TIUranta at 4:35 AM
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