by Dave Clark
ABUJA, Aug 22 (AFP) - African Union-sponsored peace talks between Sudan's government and rebel leaders from its war-torn western region of Darfur began here Monday, but made little apparent progress amid deep mutual suspicion.
The AU's chairman, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, declared the talks open in front of senior officials from several African countries who had gathered hoping to head off a mounting humanitarian crisis in Darfur.
The United Nations estimates that more than 30,000 people have died and more than one million been displaced in 18 months of conflict.
After the first four-hour closed-door session, delegates broke up to allow an ad-hoc committee to draw up a conference agenda. They were due to reconvene at 8.00 PM (1900 GMT), AU Commision chairman Alpha Oumar Konare said.
Already, however, rebel leaders were warning that they saw little prospect of real dialogue, accusing Khartoum of coming with a narrow agenda designed to appease international opinion rather than address opposition demands.
"The government came with promises about security and development issues," Tugod said. "We didn't come here to talk about security and development ... we're here to talk politics."
"Darfur is a political problem and it needs a free and frank dialogue to achieve a comprehensive solution," he said.
Sudan has come under intense international pressure to end attacks in Darfur and rein in the notorious Janjaweed, a pro-government Arab militia accused by the United Nations of the massacre of tens of thousands of civilians.
The head of Khartoum's delegation, Agriculture Minister Majzoub al-Khalifa, told reporters that Sudan would "simultaneously ... disarm the rebel movement, the Janjaweed and the other militias."
He said the rebels did not represent the people of Darfur, and pointed instead to a dozen impassive, white-robed tribal chiefs who were brought to Abuja by the government team and sat in on the negotiations.
He said true political talks could start once there was a durable ceasefire. "There will be a conference in Darfur itself," he declared.
The United Nations has given Sudan until the end of the month to ensure the security of the people of Darfur or face possible international sanctions.
The government came to Abuja hopeful it could convince fellow African countries that it is genuine in its desire for peace. Instead, it seemed headed for a disagreement over a plan to deploy African Union peacekeepers.
"The eyes of the world are on the region," Obasanjo said. "The waiting cannot be indefinite, in the face of the suffering of thousands of innocent men, women and children in Darfur. We cannot afford to fail."
The African Union has an agreement to deploy just over 300 Nigerian and Rwandan troops to protect its ceasefire monitors in Darfur. Nigeria and others would like to expand this force to form 2,000-strong peace mission.
Before the first meeting, al-Khalifa was dismissive of the idea. "I don't think that will be necessary," he said.
But after coming under pressure from Obasanjo, and receiving assurances that his goverment would retain sole responsibility for security, he was marginally more positive. "If there is a need for that, it will be discussed," he said.
On the eve of the talks Obasanjo had said in a television interview that Khartoum had been dragging its feet on the issue of the Janjaweed, and that the proposed AU force would be better placed to disarm the rebels.
"The government's argument is 'If we disarm them before the rebels what will happen?' But who is to disarm the rebels, those who armed the Janjaweed? This is where I believe that the effort of the AU will be necessary," he said.
"And that is why, in the first instance, we took up our protection force, in addition to the observer team," Obasanjo said.
Following the opening ceremony, the leaders went into closed session to meet with the Sudanese government and representatives of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and Equality and Justice Movement (JEM).
The talks began as Sudan's handling of the crisis in Darfur came under intense international scrutiny.
Britain's foreign minister, Jack Straw, was due in Sudan on Monday and his Dutch counterpart, Bernard Bot, is expected to follow him later in the week on behalf of the rotating European Union presidency.