Rebels agree to talks
The week's news at a glance.
Darfur, Sudan
Darfur’s fractious rebel groups agreed this week on a common platform for peace negotiations with the Sudanese government. Rivalry among the eight rebel groups had been blocking efforts at negotiation to end the four-year civil war, which pits black tribes against Arab Janjaweed militias backed by the Arab-dominated Sudanese government. The agreement means that a U.N. peacekeeping force of 26,000, approved by the Security Council last week, will face a relatively stable political situation and have a better chance of protecting villages. The new force will take over from the largely ineffective African Union force of 7,000 poorly equipped soldiers. “The Darfur problem now is moving toward being finally settled,” said Sudanese national security advisor Tagelsir Mahgoub.
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