The two main Darfur rebel groups could reach a peace deal with the Sudanese government within weeks now that Khartoum has shown signs of softening its position, the African Union’s top mediator said yesterday. “Unless something very dramatic happens in Darfur, we shall have a peace agreement in the next couple of weeks,” AU chief negotiator Sam Ibok told Reuters, adding he hoped to see a deal signed by mid-February. “The implementation is another thing.”The Sudanese government has said the African Union’s recent decision to delay its presidency of the organization over concerns about Darfur had provided added impetus to reach a peace agreement. “The onus is on the government to be more forthcoming,” Ibok said. “The international community is impatient, the African Union is impatient. The people in Darfur are suffering.”