ABUJA, 28 June 2005 — Peace talks on the crisis in the western Sudanese region of Darfur hit the latest in a long series of obstacles yesterday with an apparent split in the ranks of one of two rebel groups taking part.
A spokesman for the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), Mahgoub Hussein, told AFP his group had sacked the head of its negotiating team and would boycott further African Union-sponsored talks until its new leader is recognized.
“Abdel Wahid Mohammed Nur is not our leader. We have written to the African Union about our position,” he said. “Our official leader and representative is Abdel Jaffar Tosa.”
But a spokesman for the African Union, said mediators could not change the status of delegates at the talks and would continue to recognize Nur as the top SLM negotiator.
