Summary

NAME: NGA DARFUR 20060503I TAPE: EF06/0382 IN_TIME: 10:54:37:18 DURATION: 00:01:14:03 SOURCES: AP TELEVISION DATELINE: Abuja - 3 May 2006 RESTRICTIONS: SHOTLIST: 1 US Deputy Secretary of State Robert B Zoellick arriving at meeting 2 Wide shot of meeting with Zoellick, British Cabinet member Hilary Benn 3 Pan from Zoellick to Sudanese delegation 4 SOUNDBITE: (English) Ahmed Tugod, Rebel leader (from Justice and Equality Movement) and chief negotiator The document presented by the mediation team for us does not reflect the aspirations of our people because the documents failed to take into consideration the real issues that could solve the problem and root causes of the problems in Darfur Therefore it is extremely difficult for us to sign this kind of document, because we cannot sell it our people and to our constituents on the ground This is one Secondly there is no implementation mechanisms, no guarantees for this agreement, thirdly the mediation tried to undermine the rights of the people of Darfur by avoiding discussing the real issues to solve the problems 5 Shot of meeting STORYLINE: Sudan appeared ready on Wednesday to agree to disarm Arab militias in Darfur and to accept more rebels into its security forces, key concessions that could clear the way for real progress at the Darfur peace talks Sudanese government spokesman Abdulrahman Zuma said his government was considering the concessions included in a revised peace agreement drafted with the help of top US and British diplomats who intervened a day earlier after rebels rejected an initial, African Union-drafted document A Sudanese rebel involved in the negotiations offered a different version though Ahmed Tugod, rebel leader from the Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement and chief negotiator in the talks said the document presented by the mediation team for us does not reflect the aspirations of our people because the documents failed to take into consideration the real issues that could solve the problem and root causes of the problems in Darfur The Justice and Equality Movement has accused the central government of neglecting impoverished Darfur for decades He added that it is extremely difficult for us to sign this kind of document, because we cannot sell it our people and to our constituents on the ground He also said there is no implementation mechanisms, no guarantees for this agreement, thirdly the mediation tried to undermine the rights of the people of Darfur by avoiding discussing the real issues to solve the problems Earlier, Jaffer Monro, spokesman for the main Sudan Liberation Movement, had said that if the initial proposal was not significantly changed, the rebels would press for the United Nations or another body to take over the peace talks The African Union has overseen the talks for two years, and its mediators have often expressed frustration at the seeming unwillingness of either side to compromise or adhere to a cease-fire declared in April, 2004 The US and British officials were sent to Abuja, the Nigerian capital where the talks are taking place, after thousands of Americans including several legislators protested over the weekend to demand an end to the slaughter in Darfur African Union mediators had set a Sunday deadline for the two sides to accept the original draft, but extended that twice after meeting rebel objections Decades of low-level tribal clashes over land and water in Darfur erupted into large-scale violence in early 2003 with rebels demanding regional autonomy The central government is accused of responding by unleashing Arab militias known as Janjaweed upon civilians Sudan denies backing the Janjaweed