Straw holds talks with Sudanese officials over Darfur

KHARTOUM, August 24 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw arrived Tuesday, August 24, in the western Sudan's troubled region of Darfur as peace talks between the Khartoum government and the Darfur rebels began in Abuja under a cloud.

Straw, who is on a two-day visit to Sudan, arrived in Al-Fasher, the capital of Darfur, where he is due to visit the refugee camp of Abu Shouk and meet with some of the Sudanese refugees at the camp and aid workers before returning to the Sudanese capital for talks with the Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir.

The British Foreign Secretary has also held talks with the North Darfur state governor Osman Mohamed Kibir before heading for the Abu Shouk refugee camp, Agence France Presse (AFP) said, quoting a Sudanese official.

Straw, who arrived in Sudan Monday said Britain has no plans to send forces to the troubled region, but it provided the African Union with military experience to fulfill its task.

"We have absolutely no plans to put in contingents of British troops," AFP quoted Straw as telling a press conference with his Sudanese counterpart Mostafa Osman Ismail.

"What we have done is to provide military expertise to the African Union," he added.

"We stand ready... to consider any kind of other request for that kind of military advice."

Straw said Britain would pay off the cost of transporting the Nigerian forces to the troubled region of Darfur .

"But the responsibility for the provision of troops to protect the monitors is one for the African Union," Straw stated.

Earlier, the British official said Britain supports the increase the size of the AU mission in Darfur , however, he ruled out to change its mission into a peacekeeping force.

"I think it should be bigger, but the mandate should not be changed," said Straw.

Straw said he would report back on his visit to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, as the world body mulls what measures to adopt if Sudan continues to ignore the calls for action.

On Friday, July 30, the Security Council adopted a resolution threatening Khartoum with sanctions unless the Sudanese government disarms armed militias, especially the Janjaweed in Darfur within 30 days.

Peace Talks Stumble

Darfur peace talks opened amid differences over agenda

Meanwhile, the peace talks between the Khartoum government and the Darfur rebels continued Tuesday in Nigeria amid disagreements between the two sides over the talks agenda as Khartoum refused to AU plans to disarm rebels in Darfur .

The Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, African Union (AU) chairman and host of the talks in Abuja , said Monday that the AU troops were needed to disarm militias in Darfur as the Sudanese government was incapable of disarming the rebels without further bloodshed.

"I don't think there is a need for this," Reuters quoted Mazjoub Al-Khalifa , Sudan 's agriculture minister and top negotiator, as saying before talks began.

"Simultaneously we will disarm the rebel movements, the Janjaweed and other militia."

For their part, the rebel movements refused the statements of the Khartoum government.

"There is no way we can let our enemies disarm us. They are still killing us and bombing us," said Abubakar Hamid Nour, coordinator of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

"They are talking of development and security issues. Darfur is a political problem," said Ahmed Mohammed Tugod, chief (JEM) negotiator.

Reports about the number of people killed in the conflict in Darfur vary widely from 10 to 50 thousands.

Some 1.2 million people have reportedly been driven from their homes since a revolt against the government broke out in February 2003.