New peace talks for Darfur

UN chief Ban Ki-moon and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir today announced that new peace talks to end the four-year conflict in Darfur will start October 27 in Libya.

There was no immediate word from Darfur rebels whether they would attend the conference. Most rebels have rejected a peace deal that one rebel faction signed with Khartoum last year, and Ban – on his first visit to Sudan – has been pressing to get the groups to the negotiating table.