Sudanese Government officials and Darfur rebels were to meet privately today to discuss an agenda for peace talks, but little real progress was expected in the absence of key rebel leaders.
Declaring the two-day opening session of the talks closed, United Nations envoy Jan Eliasson told the gathering
in Libya he had seen signs the meeting could help end 4 1/2 years of violence in the devastated region.
But he acknowledged wider rebel participation was needed, and diplomats said UN and African Union officials were expected to travel to Sudan to try to persuade key rebel leaders to abandon their boycott of the talks.
"We cannot lose momentum after we started serious and promising dialogue," Eliasson said, adding that mediators wanted delegates to agree on an agenda and identify pressing issues.
"This process must end with the outcome we are looking for. The all-inclusive process will continue and will not be adjourned."
Many rebel leaders chose not to attend the gathering because of a refusal by UN mediators to heed requests for a delay to allow them to form a united position.
"Nothing will be decided, including any endorsement of the ceasefire, until this goal is achieved - more participation of the movements," said rebel delegate Alhadi Agabeldour, referring to a truce declared by Khartoum last week.
"The most we could achieve from this meeting is to give more time for more participation of the other rebels."
