Africa seeks Darfur breakthrough

This woman cried with relief when she reached safety in Chad

African mediators are trying to break the deadlock between the Sudan government and two rebels groups and end the conflict in the Darfur region.

One of the rebel groups is insisting that there can be no serious talks until their six conditions are met.

These include the withdrawal of government forces from Darfur and an international enquiry into charges of genocide against non-Arabs.

Some one million people have fled their homes and at least 10,000 killed.

Aid corridor

The UN has described Darfur as the world's worst humanitarian crisis - food, water and medicines are running low in the refugee camps.

Access to the region is becoming more difficult as heavy rains make dirt roads impassable.

The BBC's Hilary Andersson says that scores of refugees are dying from disease and malnutrition every camp in one camp alone.

Aid worker's diary

But on Thursday, aid officials welcomed Libya's announcement that it would open a new 3,000km aid corridor across the Sahara desert to speed up the delivery of supplies to those who have fled Darfur to neighbouring Chad.

The first shipment of wheat flour is expected to arrive in the Libyan port of Benghazi in early August.

Some 170,000 refugees from Sudan have sought safety in neighbouring Chad, and many are camped along a 600km stretch of the border.

'Negotiating tactic'

African Union (AU) mediators have resumed talks with government officials in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.

On Thursday, members of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Army met government officials but there was no breakthrough.

AU Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare urged the delegates to "give chance to peace".

JEM official Ahmed Tugod Lissan said that both groups had agreed on six conditions:

• The pro-government Janjaweed militia, accused of the worst atrocities, be disarmed
• An international enquiry investigate charges of genocide
• Those who commit genocide or ethnic cleansing be brought to justice
• Obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian aid be removed
• Prisoners of war be released
• A neutral venue should be agreed for future talks - they said Ethiopia was too close to the Sudan government

Government spokesman Ibrahim Mohammed told AFP news agency that some of these conditions - on disarming the Janjaweed and improved humanitarian access - were already being met.

The Libyan aid corridor should ease the plight of those in Chad

The rebel conditions are a "negotiating tactic", he said.

The rebels and government agreed a ceasefire in April but this has not held.

The AU has pledged to send 300 troops to Darfur by the end of July to protect its military observers.

Analysts say that 15,000 peacekeepers would be needed to stop the conflict.

There have been reports that Janjaweed raids have intensified this week, despite government claims to be disarming the militia.

More refugees continue to arrive in the region's camps.

The United States has threatened to impose sanctions on Janjaweed leaders, which could be extended to the government, if the violence continues.