Darfur Rebels Reject Peace Agreement

Sudanese Government Had Said Ready To Sign On Deadline Day

(CBS/AP)  Rebels in Sudan's Darfur region on Sunday rejected a peace proposal that would end a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people, but mediators extended the talks for two days under pressure from the United States.

Salim Ahmed Salim, a lead mediator for the African Union, said the talks would continue until midnight on Tuesday, pushing back the deadline for talks that have gone on for two years but so far failed to halt the bloodshed.

Earlier, the rebels called for changes to the deal — after the Sudanese government indicated it would accept the proposal.

Salim said the bloc had bowed to requests from the United States and others to continue negotiations.

"The African Union has extended the deadline of the peace talks by 48 hours as requested by the United States and other international partners to allow extensive consultations to go ahead," he said at the talks' site in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

"The combined pressure of the protests, U.N., and U.S. action, supporting the African Union mediation, has resulted in a peace agreement, accepted by the Sudan government announced from Khartoum," said CBS News foreign affairs analyst Pamela Falk. "The peace agreement is still in draft form with details to be worked out and all sides hope that after three years of genocide against the people of Darfur, that it sticks."

"The Bush administration called for NATO action and the United Nations Security Council — with Russia and China not opposing it — passed a sanctions resolution against four Sudanese individuals," added Falk, "with financial assistance and follow-up, Darfur may begin a slow recovery."

In Washington, actors, athletes, politicians and religious leaders rallied to call attention to the Darfur conflict and urge greater U.S. involvement in ending what the United Nations has called one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters.

Years of fighting between ethnic groups and Arab militias in western Sudan have left at least 180,000 people dead and about 2 million homeless. Darfur's violence recently spilled into neighboring Chad and threatens to escalate: Osama bin Laden last week urged his followers to go to Sudan to fight a proposed U.N. presence.

Amid the negotiations, the plight of 3 million refugees in Darfur has worsened. The U.N. World Food Program said Friday that it was cutting rations in half, citing a lack of funds.

Sudan has indicated it might accept a U.N. force in Darfur to aid African Union troops if a peace treaty is signed, and the head of Sudan's delegation, Magzoub El-Khalif, said Sunday the government is willing to accept a draft resolution circulated last week.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on China and Russia to join the United States in pushing Sudan to accept U.N. forces.

At the rally in Washington, the crowd chanted "Not on our watch" as a parade of speakers lined up for their turn on a stage on the National Mall, the Capitol serving as a backdrop.

"The personal motivation for a lot of us is the Holocaust," said Boston-based Rabbi Or Rose of Jewish Seminarians for Justice. "Given our history and experience, we feel an obligation to stand up and speak out."