Rebels Reject Draft Darfur Peace Deal

The Sudanese government had said it was ready to sign. A spokesman for one of Sudan's rebel factions, however, said the agreement did not adequately address how the deal will be implemented, nor their key demands for a vice president from Darfur and more autonomy for the region. Hahmed Hussein, a spokesman for the Justice and Equality Movement, said in a statement he was speaking for both rebel factions.

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One of the factions of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) made an equally uncompromising statement. "If the proposal does not include all our demands we will not sign," its spokesman said.

However the chief negotiator of the SLA left the possibility open that a deal could be reached.

The BBC's Alex Last in Abuja, where the talks are being held, says that if the SLA mainstream can be brought on board, others are likely to follow.

Power sharing?

Mr Pronk has said the peace plan had been the result of months of arduous negotiation and was not up for renegotiation.

However he suggested that the midnight deadline set by the AU did not matter as long as the rebels signed within a day or so.

The plan calls for pro-government Arab militias to be disarmed, and rebels fighters to be merged into Sudan's forces.

The 85-page draft also aims to end what Darfur rebels say is long-standing neglect of the province by the Khartoum government.

It calls for a one-off transfer of $300m to Darfur, with $200m a year for the region thereafter.

The rebel groups have been holding a series of meetings with the mediators and each other to work out a common position.

Some rebel leaders are reportedly demanding the Sudanese vice-presidency.

There are also concerns over the demand for rebel forces to lay down their arms before they are integrated into the Sudanese army.

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