Sudan, Darfur rebel group sign peace framework(AP)
1 hr 19 mins ago
DOHA, Qatar – The Sudanese government and Darfur's most powerful rebel group signed an declaration Tuesday to conduct future peace negotiations, but failed to agree on a hoped-for cease-fire after a week of talks.
The rebels have, however, did pledge to release some captured government soldiers as a goodwill gesture.
The "declaration of good intentions," worked out in negotiations in the Gulf nation of Qatar, laid the groundwork for a second round of talks next month that are to address core problems in the six-year conflict. The sides also agreed, in principle, to exchange prisoners.
Since Darfur rebels took up arms in 2003 complaining of discrimination and neglect by the Arab-led government, as many as 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million have been driven from their homes, according to the U.N.
The talks in Qatar's capital, Doha, were the first between Sudanese government officials and Darfur rebels in more than a year, after comprehensive peace talks broke down in late 2007. They were also the first to involve the powerful Justice and Equality Movement, which has posed the biggest threat to the government and even staged an attack on the outskirts of Sudan's capital, Khartoum, in May of last year.
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