Sudan: Darfur talks bogged down by bickering over agenda

Talks between the Sudanese government and rebels from the country’s Darfur region, broke up early on Tuesday as both sides failed to agree on an agenda for resuming formal peace negotiations. The talks mediated by the African Union (AU) were due to resume on Wednesday. The Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA), one of two rebel movements represented at the talks, said it had asked for more time to respond to political proposals tabled by mediators. The peace talks resumed in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Monday after a first round in late August and early September failed to make progress.