Darfur rebels are blocking aid to 1.5 million refugees

The Darfur rebels have refused to agree a deal that would give aid workers unrestricted access, commit both sides to preventing attacks on civilians and allow for refugees to return home.

Talks broke off early Tuesday when rebels refused face-to-face talks with the government, demanding instead that the African Union meets separately with both sides to draft an agenda.

An earlier round of peace talks in Nigeria ended without agreement in September, after rebels refused to sign a humanitarian accord giving aid organisations wider access to refugees. Rebels insist they will not sign the already-drafted accord without an accompanying security agreement.

A key sticking point in reaching a security deal is a government demand that insurgents disarm. The Sudan Liberation Army and a second rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement, insist the Janjaweed must first be disarmed.
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Here is what has happened so far in these crucial talks among people who have it within their gift to immediately end the suffering of millions of Sudanese people:

On Monday, the all important peace talks opened in Abuja, Nigeria. The Darfur rebels adjourned meetings on security and political issues Monday and Tuesday almost as soon as they started, saying they needed more time to fix a position.

The rebels are insisting that Khartoum disarm its militias in Darfur before they would sign a deal to bring aid to 1.5 million civilians displaced by violence.

Analysts at the talks said the rebels had stalled on the humanitarian deal believing deteriorating conditions in refugee camps in the vast region would pile pressure on the government to concede ground over issues such as disarmament.

"We've told the rebels that for them to be seen as blocking the signature of the humanitarian protocol is not very good," said a European Union diplomat attending the talks.

The rebels' reluctance to sign the humanitarian protocol in the second day of peace talks in the Nigerian capital brought the two sides back to the sticking point that caused a round of talks last month to collapse.

If signed, the aid deal would be the first meaningful agreement in three rounds of talks that began in July.

"The rebels should not take the international community for granted. They think they have all the international sympathies, but if they are seen as the ones who are stalling they will have to pay a price," the European diplomat said.

Photo of Darfur rebels: serious internal splits have shown up in their ranks

Today, The Star in Malaysia reports Darfur talks break as rebels demand clear agenda.

A key sticking point in reaching a security deal is a government demand that insurgents disarm.

The SLA and the JEM insist the Janjaweed must first be disarmed.

The JEM said the two rebel groups would also push for a no-fly zone over Darfur.

Nigerian army spokesman Col. Mohammed Yusuf, said 196 Nigerian peacekeeping troops were ready to leave for Darfur from their southeastern base of Abak, and were just waiting for the African Union to arrange their transport.