U.N.-Sudan talks fail as Darfur deadline passes
By Opheera McDoom

May 24, 2006 -(Reuters) Top United Nations officials failed to gain Sudan's agreement to allow a technical team to plan the deployment of U.N. troops to the violent Darfur region as a Security Council deadline expired on Wednesday.

The council passed a resolution on Tuesday last week saying Khartoum had to allow a U.N. assessment team to begin work within a week on the plan to take over from an ill-equipped and struggling African Union force monitoring a shaky truce in the region. The government has refused the team visas.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's veteran troubleshooter Lakhdar Brahimi and the world body's peacekeeping chief Hedi Annabi began talks in the capital on Tuesday to break the deadlock but, as the deadline expired, no agreement was reached.

"The assessment mission is still not decided upon by the government of Sudan," said presidential advisor Majzoub al-Khalifa after his meeting with Brahimi and Annabi. The U.N. resolution was passed under chapter seven meaning Sudan was now in violation of international law.

Tens of thousands have been killed and more than 2 million forced from their homes during three years of rape, murder and arson in Darfur, violence the United States calls genocide.

Khartoum rejects the charge of genocide but the International Criminal Court is investigating alleged war crimes in the region.

Khalifa said the political dialogue with the United Nations had to deal with the mandate of any U.N. troops before allowing the assessment mission to enter.

After two days of meeting government officials, Brahimi said the talks had been "very good" and a "joint vision" had been agreed. He declined to immediately elaborate.

U.N. spokesman Bahaa Elkoussy said talks were ongoing and that Brahimi was "optimistic".

Brahimi will meet President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Thursday evening but has not been given a meeting time as yet with key player Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha who instead left the country on Wednesday for talks in Eritrea.

The government signed a peace deal with one rebel faction on May 5. But two other factions refused to sign despite intense global pressure and thousands have been demonstrating in Darfur and Khartoum against the deal, saying it did not meet their basic demands.

Before the deal, Khartoum had rejected the idea of U.N. troops, saying their deployment could lead to an Iraq-like quagmire attracting Islamic militants. Since the deal they softened their position, saying they needed to be consulted on the mandate of any mission.

Khalifa, head of the government talks team, said he expected the outcome of the discussions with Brahimi to be "very positive," but declined to elaborate.

Attacks continue on civilians in Darfur with 250,000 forced to flee their homes this year alone and militias attacking AU troops.

Brahimi is due to leave Sudan on Friday morning.

From: http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=MCD436604