A rebel threat to withdraw from a ceasefire monitoring commission in Sudan's troubled Darfur region would spell disaster for the faltering peace process, the United Nations said today.
It said mediation between the warring parties was stuck with neither side willing to make concessions. Fighting in the vast arid region in western Sudan has killed tens of thousands and forced almost 2 million to flee their homes.
The rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) told the government yesterday to withdraw troops by the end of the week from all territory occupied in the past two months or it would pull out of the ceasefire monitoring body.
Radhia Achouri, spokeswoman for the UN advance mission in Sudan, said this would be terrible for efforts to end the conflict which erupted two years ago.
"Obviously, if the SLA make this threat a matter of fact ... that would be a disastrous thing to happen because we do not believe that any of the parties have any interest in destroying the little fragile gains they have (made)," Achouri said.
The latest meeting of the commission monitoring a much violated April truce ended yesterday in Chad with nothing agreed.