The UN special envoy to Darfur expressed hope on Wednesday that all rebel leaders in Sudan's Darfur region will take part in the peace talks to be held in Libya on Saturday.
Speaking to journalists at the UN Headquarters by videoconference from Asmara, Eritrea, Jan Eliasson said that it was still not clear exactly how many rebel leaders will participate in the talks in Sirte, Libya, but he warned that the stakes for the people of Darfur were too high for them to turn down the invitation.
"We may have a very dangerous development if we miss this opportunity," he said, noting that the Sudanese government, the country's neighbors, representatives of Darfurian civil society and some local tribal leaders have all said they are ready and willing to take part.
He stressed that substantive negotiations on many of the most contentious issues, such as power-sharing and control of land, will not take place immediately, allowing the rebel groups time to hold consultations among themselves on the sidelines of the Sirte talks.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon briefed the UN Security Council in a closed-door meeting on Wednesday afternoon on the preparations and expectations for the Sirte talks.
Source:Xinhua
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