Darfur talks may rebound after Obasanjo meeting

Abuja- Nigeria (PANA) -- The slow-moving African Union-brokered Sudan peace talks in Abuja could assume a new momentum following separate meetings between the AU Chair and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo with the Darfur two main rebel groups Friday, AU sources said here Sunday.
"The parties and the mediation team, led by Dr (Salim Ahmed) Salim have been engaged in a series of consultations in the last hours and we are hopeful that in the next 48 hours we will see the outcome, which we hope also will be positive" talks spokesman Nurruddine Mezni told PANA.
He said following the meetings with the Nigerian leader, held at the venue of the talks, Salim had met with all the parties and facilitators as well as observers in a move to nudge the tottering talks, which resumed over two weeks ago in the Nigerian capital.
Meanwhile, the special envoy of the Libyan government, Ali Triki, returned to Abuja Friday to join in the renewed efforts to move the talks forward.
   A major stumbling block to the negotiations has been the refusal of the rebel groups to agree the Declaration of Principle (DOP), which spells out the guidelines and other details for the talks.
   While the Khartoum Government and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebel group were said to have reached an agreement on the DOP, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), has yet to agree.
   PANA learnt that a delegation of the government of Eritrea was expected in Abuja to help persuade the SLM/A to consent to the DOP.
   President Obasanjo has told the rebels to be flexible and move towards an agreement to end the sufferings of their people.
   Fighting, which erupted in Sudan's western region of Darfur region in 2003 over sources control, has killed at least 180,000 and displaced more than two million according to UN sources.