Western pressure for Darfur peace deal stepped up
The US and Britain pressed Sudan’s government and Darfur rebels to meet today’s deadline for a peace deal, even as ground units stepped up fighting that has killed at least 180,000 people and left millions more homeless.
Robert B. Zoellick, No 2 in the US State Department, waded into the long-stymied talks in Abuja, Nigeria, pressuring the various factions to strike a deal before a midnight (11pm Irish Time) deadline. International Development Secretary Hilary Benn joined him.
