Western and African diplomats have presented Sudan's government and Darfur rebels with a new peace deal, putting both sides under intense pressure to end a three-year conflict before a midnight deadline. A senior member of a US-led diplomatic team involved in talks between the two sides in the Nigerian capital Abuja, said on Thursday: "A package has been put together and presented to the parties, but there are no takers yet." The diplomat, who requested anonymity, said it was possible the parties would agree to the new peace package at a meeting due to take place at the Nigerian presidential villa but there was no certainty.
The government accepted the African Union's (AU) original proposals on security, power-sharing and wealth-sharing but three rebel factions from Sudan's western Darfur region objected to many provisions. AU mediators have twice put back by 48 hours a deadline for an agreement to allow more diplomatic efforts, now being led by Robert Zoellick, the US deputy secretary of state. The new deadline is midnight (2300 GMT) on Thursday. |