Raiders 'seize Sudan army base'

Armed raiders have seized a Sudanese army base in the conflict-torn region of Darfur, near the border with Chad, international peacekeepers say.

The joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force said the Umm Baru base was some 100km (60 miles) from the frontier.

The identity of the attackers has not been confirmed, but rebels from the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem) have been recently active in the area.

Neither Sudan nor Jem have not commented on the peacekeepers' report.

Peace talks

Last week, Jem seized Sudan's army base at Kornoi, about 50km (30 miles) from Chad's border.

The governments in Khartoum and N'Djamena accuse each other of backing rebel forces inside their respective territories.

The reported fall of the Umm Baru base comes as a fresh round of peace talks between Sudan and Jem is due to begin on Wednesday in Doha, Qatar.

The United Nations estimates that 300,000 people have died in a six-year conflict in Sudan's Darfur region and more than two million more have been displaced.