African Union negotiators are struggling to hammer out a peace agreement between the Sudanese government and Darfur rebels. A.U. officials met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick and Britain's International Development Secretary Hilary Benn this morning (Wednesday morning) in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. Several African leaders are also expected to join the talks to press for an end to fighting that has killed an estimated 180-thousand people.
The Khartoum government has accepted a peace deal drafted by the A.U. But rebel leaders have refused to sign the document, saying they want more power-sharing, wealth-sharing and security assurances in the agreement.
Mediators on Tuesday extended by 48 hours a deadline set to expire at midnight after the warring sides failed to find common ground. It was the second extension offered in the talks.