Talks for Darfur 'must go ahead'

Several rebel movements say they will boycott the talks

The Darfur peace talks should go ahead in Libya this weekend in spite of rebel boycotts, Sudan's representative to the United Nations has told the tznews.
Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad said the peace process for Sudan cannot be held to ransom by the rebel factions.

At least seven Darfuri groups say they will not attend because their request to be given more time to form a common position has been ignored.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon is due to brief the UN Security Council on the matter.

The UN secretary general will also update diplomats on the deployment of peacekeepers to Darfur.

The African Union says the hybrid UN-AU 26,000-strong peace force being set up for Darfur now has commitments for 90% of the manpower needed, but lacks helicopters and trucks.

Briefing the AU peace and security council, the force's deputy commander, Gen Henry Anyidoho, said the bulk of the force will be African, as Sudan demanded, with Thailand being the only non-African country to offer soldiers.

Egypt and Ethiopia, Mali and Malawi, Senegal, Ghana and Burkina Faso have each offered a battalion apiece but the Sudanese government has yet to approve.

Some 200,000 people have died in the four-and-a-half year conflict and an estimated two million people have fled their homes.