SUDAN: Peace talks between Darfur rebels and the Sudanese government resumed yesterday evening after a 24-hour boycott by rebels who accused Khartoum on Saturday of violating a ceasefire by killing 75 civilians in six villages.
The African Union, the mediator in the talks, began a probe into the allegations, just one of a series of tit-for-tat accusations about ceasefire violations in what the UN has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
"The ceasefire commission has already commenced investigations and is expected to put in its findings during the week," said African Union spokesman Mr Assane Ba, part of the delegation to Abuja, Nigeria.
The peace talks are aimed at finding a political solution to the conflict which escalated in February 2003 after years of low intensity fighting between Arab nomads and mainly African farmers over scarce resources in the vast arid region.
Up to 50,000 people have died since the conflict began 18 months ago and more than a million Darfuris have fled their homes for fear of Arab militia, known as the Janjaweed, mobilised by the government in a campaign to crush the rebels.
The talks, which began last Monday, have so far foundered on squabbling over disarmament and the ceasefire accusations.
The boycott by both the Justice and Equality Movement and Sudan Liberation Movement Darfur delegations came just two days ahead of an August 30th UN Security Council deadline for Sudan to improve security for refugees or face sanctions.