Sudan’s government committed to a ceasefire in Darfur at the start of peace talks, but many rebels boycotted the UN-sponsored negotiations.

ONE of the biggest remaining Darfur rebel alliances yesterday said it would respect a ceasefire and was ready to resume peace talks with Sudan’s government.

The United Nations and African Union envoys for Sudan agreed to work “hand-in-hand” to try to bring all the warring parties to the peace table and convince them there is no military solution to the Darfur conflict that has killed more than 200,000 people.

Thousands of people joined celebrities and lawmakers at a US rally yesterday urging the Bush administration and Congress to help end genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region.

Sudan’s government and two rebel groups signed an agreement on how to resolve the conflict in the country’s western Darfur region.