05 October 2005

Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands urged the Sudanese government and rebels from the Darfur region to reach a quick peace accord Tuesday and warned them that international goodwill was running out. "Constructing peace is the responsibility of all of you toward your great country, to the land where you were born and to your own people," the Dutch leader told delegates from the warring parties at African Union talks in Abuja.

"But not only is that your responsibility toward Sudan, it is also your responsibility toward the international community; a community that has invested so heavily in past years in assisting to bring a cease-fire to Darfur, in trying to alleviate the plight of so many displaced families."

The Netherlands is one of a group European and North American powers which has leant logistical support to the African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur.

"The international community wants to see results, it cannot go on spending resources on problems which should already have been resolved," Balkenende warned.

"It is therefore that I plead to you to make tough decisions that lead to peace," he said.

For the past year negotiating teams from the Khartoum government and two rebel movements fighting on behalf of the minority tribes living in the arid western region of Darfur have been meeting off-and-on in the Nigerian capital under the auspices of the African Union.

On Monday the two sides entered the first full plenary session of the latest round of talks, with both sides expressing optimism that they will be able to negotiate a broad political settlement on the issues of power and wealth sharing between Darfur and the central government.

The dispute between factions of the Sudan Liberation Army is still unresolved, but African Union spokesman Assane Ba said talks on power-sharing had begun. Ba said the factions agreed on an agenda to take talks forward, but he gave no details.

Since the negotiating teams arrived in Abuja, officials say the situation in Darfur has become much worse.

Baba Gana Kingibe, the chief African Union envoy to Sudan, said Saturday that Sudanese government forces attacked civilians in several areas of Darfur, committing acts of "calculated and wanton destruction" that have killed at least 44 people and displaced thousands more during the past two weeks.

The Sudanese government denied the African Union

allegations Monday.

Separately, Chad has closed its consulate in Darfur

more than a week after Sudanese militia crossed from the region and killed at least

36 Chadians before going back to their country, the state

radio reported.

Authorities have also asked Sudan to close its consulate in eastern Chad because security has deteriorated in the region bordering the two countries, according to a Foreign Ministry statement read on the radio late Monday. - Agencies