Sudan denies breaking peace deal

The Sudanese authorities have denied rebel accusations that they have broken this month's peace deal by attacking and looting a village in Darfur, BBC reported today:

The region's largest rebel group, which signed the deal with the government, said the army and Arab militias had launched the raid in North Darfur.

North Darfur governor Osman Mohamed Kibir told the BBC that the accusations of army involvement were groundless.

But our correspondent says that aid agencies working in the region have backed up the rebel claims.

The African Union, which brokered the peace deal, also says there has been a spate of deadly attacks in the past week.

"The problem seems to be that everyone wants to maximise their territory before the truce and disarmament actually come into effect," AU spokesman Moussa Hamani told the AP news agency.

May 21 2006 Jan Pronk's Weblog: "What about the Janjaweed? Will the peace agreement stop them?" - Militias kill dozens despite Darfur peace-rebels - Darfur rebels who signed a peace deal said on Sunday the government has already breached the agreement by attacking their areas in North Darfur.

May 21 2006 Shearia, South Darfur: 60 killed in clashes