Darfur rebels walk out of talks

Many people say they are too scared to return home

Darfur's rebel groups have walked out of peace talks with Sudanese officials in protest at alleged recent attacks on civilians by government-led forces.

The two groups said they were halting the African Union-led talks in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, for 24 hours.

Government officials and rebel representatives had met earlier to discuss conditions on the ground.

The first food truck convoy, meanwhile, set out from Libya to deliver aid to some 200,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad.

The 20-truck convoy with some 440 tonnes of wheat flour will have to negotiate gruelling 2,000 kilometres from Libya's port of Benghazi across the Saharan desert, the World Food Programme said in a statement.

Last month, Libya responded to WFP's appeal and opened its corridor to deliver much-needed food for Darfur's refugees in eastern Chad.

The Red Cross is also beginning a massive relief effort. Convoy are to depart from the Red Cross warehouses in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, every two days with food and other relief supplies.

Up to 50,000 people have been killed since violence erupted in Darfur region at the beginning of 2003.

Disarmament hopes

The African Union is aiming to tackle humanitarian issues in Darfur before seeking a political solution.

DARFUR CONFLICT More than 1m displaced Up to 50,000 killed More at risk from disease and starvation Arab militias accused of ethnic cleansing Sudan blames rebels for starting conflict Q&A: Darfur conflict

But the two rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudanese Liberation Army, have both made it clear that they will not disarm without a political deal.

In a statement announcing the walkout, the groups said : "As a result of these serious violations... (we) have decided to boycott the talks for 24 hours in protest over the continuous attacks that result in many civilian casualties."

The AU wants to broker an interim agreement between the rebels and the Sudanese government.

It is hoping that such a deal could include the disarmament of both the rebels and their enemies, the Arab militias, including the Janjaweed.

This could pave the way for the deployment of a larger AU protection force.

The AU is exerting heavy pressure, backed by the threat of UN sanctions against the Khartoum government.

HAVE YOUR SAY The world community has a duty to alleviate the abject suffering of the displaced people in Darfur Pancha Chandra, Belgium Send your views

The deadline for complying with the United Nations demands, which include improving security in Darfur, is Monday - although Sudan is trying to get this extended.

So far, Khartoum has only accepted 300 AU troops with a specific mandate to protect observers overseeing a ceasefire agreement which is being repeatedly broken by both sides.

The AU wants to deploy at least 2,000 troops with a broader mandate to include the protection of civilians.

The two rebel groups in Darfur rose up against the government some 18 months ago, demanding greater access to resources.

Khartoum denies it used the Janjaweed to quell an uprising by Darfur rebel groups last year.