Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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October 27, 2007

UN Officials Urge Darfur Rebels to Attend Peace Talks
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1A08BB8:A6F02AD83191E16065F47BE6CD761BB69574F7DCC14957C0 Special envoy Jan
Eliasson says time running out to reach settlement that could end
nearly five-year conflict between rebel groups, Sudanese government





U.N. special envoy Jan Eliasson walks past media reporters ahead of
the opening session of the Darfur peace talks in Sirte, Libya, 27 Oct
2007The U.N. envoy to Sudan's Darfur region says it is urgent that two
of Darfur's main rebel groups attend peace talks that begin Saturday
in Libya.

Leaders of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan
Liberation Army-Unity announced Friday they would not attend the joint
U.N.-African Union sponsored talks.

The U.N.'s Jan Eliasson says time is running out to reach a settlement
that could end the nearly five-year conflict between rebel groups and
the Sudanese government.

JEM's chief negotiator, Ahmed Tugod Lissan, says his group and
SLA-Unity are boycotting the talks because of the presence of minor
rebel factions, which he says were invited because Khartoum wanted
them involved in the talks.







John Holmes (file photo)U.N. humanitarian chief for Darfur, John
Holmes, has also called on rebels to work towards a political
solution. He says the lack of security is making it increasingly
difficult for aid agencies to work.

Abdel Wahid Nur, the leader of another SLA faction previously
announced that he would not participate in the talks.

The U.N. is hoping to achieve a political settlement before the
planned deployment to Darfur of a joint 26,000 U.N.-AU peacekeeping
force by early 2008.

Khartoum signed a peace agreement with one Darfur rebel group last
year, but the deal has not stopped deadly violence in the western
Sudanese region.

Darfur rebel groups comprised mainly of ethnic Africans rose up
against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum nearly five years
ago. The fighting between rebels, militias and the government has
killed an estimated 200,000 people and displaced more than 2 million
others from their homes.


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