DARFUR UPDATE: Darfur's rebel groups reach deal

Most of Darfur's rebel groups have agreed on a common position and want "final" talks with Sudan's government within two or three months.

The eight factions have been in talks since Friday to end their divisions - seen as a major factor in the failure to end the four-year conflict.

However, one of the key rebel leaders boycotted the meeting in Tanzania...

Optimism

Special UN envoy to Darfur Jan Eliasson told the BBC the agreement was an important step forward...

International Crisis Group analyst Hannah Stogdon told Reuters news agency that it depended on who would represent the rebels in talks with the government...

Rebel leader Ahmed Hussein said the deal would "pave the way for a meaningful and positive new political process to solve the root causes of the conflict in Darfur"...

One of the key rebel leaders, Abdul Wahid Mohammad Ahmed al-Nur, of the major faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement, boycotted the talks, saying a ceasefire should be agreed before political talks.

Common denominator

The African Union special envoy to Darfur, Salim Ahmed Salim, told the BBC that Mr Nur should take the current opportunity to put aside his differences and join the peace process...

At least 200,000 people are believed to have died and more than two million have been left homeless since 2003...The talks follow last week's UN Security Council resolution to send 26,000 peacekeepers to Darfur.

Though the fighters in Arusha have welcomed the announcement that more peacekeepers will be deployed, they know that a political solution is the only way forward, says BBC Africa analyst David Bamford.

After months of wrangling, Sudan agreed to the UN resolution after it was watered down.

SockPuppet said:
Well, that llooks like a step forward. Let's hope it turns into a genuine deal. Kudos to the African Union for brokering the talks.

emotedcreations said:

For realz, and finally getting the UN in...

SockPuppet said:

I was a little puzzled by that, TBH. The AU has been resisting UN involvement for a while, after all.

emotedcreations said:

It wasn't the AU it was Khartoum. AUMIS wanted the UNMIS in, because they knew damn well they weren't up for the job. I don't know the exact specifics, but I know lead nations in the AU have been increasing pressure and Khartoum finally budged I guess (although apparently they have "conditions"). It's hard to get detailed information. The last time I checked the AU website they didn't even mention Sudan (that I could find anyway). But it definitely is out there if you look. It's just not going to smack you across the face.