U.N. Meeting Seeks to Jump-Start Darfur Peace Process

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 21 -- Senior dignitaries from 26 countries on Friday prodded the Sudanese government and Darfurian rebels to strike a political settlement next month at peace talks in Tripoli, Libya, and appealed to Khartoum to stop impeding the deployment of more than 26,000 U.N. and African Union peacekeepers to Sudan.

The high-level meeting, convened by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and African Union Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare, was designed to energize a troubled U.N. diplomatic effort to bring peace to Darfur. But the proceedings were marred by fresh reports of violence in Darfur. Two World Vision aid workers were shot in the head, and a third was shot in the shoulder Thursday during a carjacking incident in southern Darfur.

The injuries to the three Sudanese nationals underscored the limits of international efforts to bring peace to Darfur, where a government-backed counterinsurgency campaign has left hundreds of thousands dead and has driven more than 2 million civilians from their homes.

It remained unclear who was responsible for the attack against the aid workers, who were in stable condition, according to World Vision.

Senior U.N. officials expressed concern in a closed-door meeting that Sudan has hampered U.N. efforts to deploy forces there by not providing the troops access to land and water. U.N. officials also said that Sudan has placed restrictions on the United Nations' use of airfields in Darfur.

They expressed concern about attacks against aid workers, which have soared by 150 percent over the past year, with more than 66 humanitarian relief workers physically or sexually assaulted. Armed groups have also hijacked nearly 100 vehicles.

"There is very good progress on the political side, and there is progress on the peacekeeping front," said John Holmes, the United Nations' top emergency relief official. "But that is not yet reflected on the humanitarian side -- the situation, if anything, has been deteriorating."

But several delegates, including Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte, criticized Sudan's rebel factions for refusing to participate in peace talks scheduled for Oct. 27 in Tripoli. Negroponte said that rebel leaders may face sanctions if they do not attend.

"We are dismayed by reports that both sides continue to engage in fighting," Negroponte said. "The United States is prepared to apply additional sanctions should the government of Sudan or the rebels continue to target civilians or support those who do."

Friday's meeting, which included foreign ministers and other senior officials from at least 26 countries, including Sudan, revealed sharp differences between the United Nations, the African Union and Sudan over the composition of the peacekeeping force. A previous agreement among the three parties called for a "predominantly African force" in Darfur.

U.N. military planners have insisted that they will need to call on modern military forces outside Africa to supply advanced equipment, including attack helicopters, logistics and communications equipment. But Sudan's foreign minister said that there is no place for non-African forces in Darfur.

"We don't need them," Lam Akol said. "There are enough African troops for the operation, almost twice the number required."