New round of talks begin to settle Darfur conflict: UN
New York |Tuesday, 2009 10:15:44 AM IST
 

Sudan's warring parties have begun a new round of talks, but they lack conviction for an agreement in the six-year conflict, a UN official said.

The talks in Doha were attended by representatives from all communities in Darfur, the belligerents and the Khartoum government, said Djibril Bassole Monday, the UN envoy to the talks.

"Unfortunately, the belligerents' current lack of confidence in each other makes for slow progress in the peace talks and for an end to military hostilities," Bassole said.

The talks, supported by the Emir of Qatar, the League of Arab States as well as the African Union, were designed to allow the various armed groups to talk to each other as well as with Khartoum.

"The aims are to find a comprehensive resolution of the underlying causes of crisis, to overcome inter-communal hatreds caused by war and to accelerate socio-economic development," Bassole said.

Negotiations to end the ethnic conflict in Sudan in recent years have failed. The conflict in Western Sudan since 2003 has killed over 300,000 civilians and displaced more than two million others.

The 15-nation council, which debated the situation in Darfur, said in a brief statement that the talks reached a crucial stage and it urged all parties to settle their differences.

--DPA

nk

( 223 Words)

2009-12-01-01:50:49 (IANS)

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