Darfur peace talks go on despite deadline passing

Abuja, May 5: A midnight deadline passed without any sign of a peace deal between the Sudanese government and Darfur rebels, but Western and African diplomats kept both sides talking today.

The breaching of the deadline came as no surprise because officials had suggested yesterday this was likely to happen to ensure every effort was made to secure a deal.

The midnight deadline yesterday was the third to have been set by African Union mediators in the past few days in a bid to get the government and the rebels to strike a deal to end three years of conflict in Sudan's western Darfur region.

REUTERS