Egypt began a round of talks today with several Darfur rebel groups to try to persuade them to return to peace negotiations with Sudan's government, AP reported. Darfur's most powerful rebel group, however, was not taking part in the meetings in Egypt. The splintering of Darfur's rebels into a growing number of groups with differing agendas has complicated efforts to end the conflict. Six years of fighting in the western region of Sudan has killed many people and driven hundreds from their homes, creating a humanitarian crisis. On Saturday, Egypt's foreign minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, met with the leaders of six rebel groups. The aim was to learn more about their positions and to try to push them toward peace talks under a unified delegation that could meet Sudan's government. «Egypt will play a very important role in the coming days to unify the groups' stances and engage in direct negotiations between them and the Sudanese government,» said Bahar Idriss Abu Garda, leader of the United Resistance Front and one of the rebels who attended the meeting. In May, Abu Garda voluntarily handed himself over to The Hague, Netherlands-based International Criminal Court, where he faces charges of murder and pillaging in a 2007 attack on peacekeepers in Darfur. The court set Oct. 12 for the next hearing in Abu Garda's case. Al-Bashir is to travel to Egypt on Sunday to discuss Darfur with President Hosni Mubarak. Egypt is concerned about the stability of neighboring Sudan, which faces a number of serious internal conflicts besides the one in Darfur. Earlier Darfur peace efforts have foundered, including one mediated by Qatar in which the most powerful rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement, did participate.
