http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/africa/5034020.stm
A deadline for the two remaining rebel
groups in
The Justice and Equality Movement and a faction of the
Sudan Liberation Army rejected the deal, initial reports say.
African Union mediators had been trying to persuade them to
sign the 5 May deal before 2100 GMT on Wednesday.
The two groups have demanded
changes to the text of the agreement aimed at ending the conflict, in which at
least 200,000 people have died.
Threee years of fighting
has forced some two million people from their homes, in what aid agencies say
is one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
Only the main faction of the Sudan
Liberation Army signed the AU-brokered deal with the government in the Sudanese
capital,
Sanctions
threat
Last-minute talks with the two
groups have been continuing both in
AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni told
AFP news agency that AU commission chief Alpha Oumar Konare Konare would
"indicate the next steps to be taken" on Thursday.
The AU has warned that the rebels
refusing to sign the agreement could face sanctions and that it will urge the
UN Security Council to do the same.
The two rebel groups say the
current deal is unjust and are asking for:
The two rebel groups say the current deal is unjust and
are asking for:
The rebels took up arms in February 2003, accusing the
government of discriminating against
The Sudanese army and the pro-government Janjaweed
militia then began attacking civilians in
A lack of money and insecurity means aid workers cannot
reach parts of the region.