CAIRO: Local government-affiliated authorities from Sudan are critical of what they perceive to be foreign meddling, which is prolonging the Darfur crisis indefinitely as international bodies attempt to mediate between the Sudanese government, the rebel groups and neighboring countries. Darfur has entered another cycle of conflict because the main rebel factions have broken up into more splinter groups, rendering the initial Abuja peace agreement archaic as the new rebel groups have refused to recognize it. Media Secretary for the Lawyers' Syndicate in Sudan Youssef Al-Ameen Al-Hindy, speaking from a pro-government position, told Daily News Egypt, "The factions that haven't signed the agreement are being subjected to international and foreign pressures to achieve certain interests. There is greed in Darfur; a greed to exploit the people of Darfur and its resources and we know very well that Darfur has huge natural resources, whether land, water, minerals or oil. "There is an international struggle between the US, China and the EU to win control over these resources, and this is the root of the problem, Al-Hindy added. "We consider the Abuja agreement as the basis for all future agreements and this is because of the conviction of Darfur residents that the agreement is a fair and satisfactory one, he concluded. The UN and African Union (AU) held talks with Sudan's neighbors in Sharm El-Sheikh Tuesday seeking a clearer role from these countries concerning mediation in the Darfur crisis. The two bodies held talks with representatives from Egypt, Chad, Libya and Eritrea to define the role of these countries as they all influence events in Darfur, whether through the Sudanese government or the rebel groups. Jan Eliasson from the UN and Salim Ahmed Salim from the AU met with representatives of the country and are heading to Sudan to meet with government officials and rebel groups after Sharm El-Sheikh. Plans to introduce a 26,000-strong joint force to maintain peace in Darfur are yet to be implemented. Only 9,000 troops are expected to be deployed in Darfur by Jan. 1."We want to have a minimum presence on the ground to improve the situation ... and also to monitor the cessation of hostilities agreement which we hope will come about at the beginning of the substantive talks, Eliasson told Reuters. "As political negotiators we also need progress on the peacekeeping side, he added. The Darfur crisis has seen 2.5 million people displaced and 200,000 killed since its onset in 2003 and has also spilled over into neighboring countries.
