September 17 2004 at 07:53PM
By Tume Ahemba
Abuja - Sudan said peace talks with Darfur rebels ended without agreement on Friday and accused the United States of stiffening rebel resolve to avoid compromise during the three week negotiations.
The talks, in the Nigerian capital Abuja, were aimed at ending a 19-month conflict in Darfur, in western Sudan, that has killed up to 50 000.
"Statements made by senior officials of the USA poisoned the talks environment and sent wrong signals to the rebels who immediately stiffened their positions," Najib Abdulwahab, Sudan's minister of state for foreign affairs, told reporters.
But he said the two sides would reconvene after a period of one month to try and hammer out a deal on humanitarian and security issues.
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