AU says "regrets" no deal with Darfur rebels

June 1, 2006 Reuters report by Opheera McDoom - excerpt:

In a statement, AU Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare noted "with deep regret" that last-minute efforts to get the two factions to sign the deal had failed.

It said the AU's Peace and Security Council will now decide what, if any, punitive measures are to be taken against the groups. The AU council will meet in the coming days although no date has been set.

"Future violations of the ceasefire agreement will not be tolerated," the AU statement said, adding the 7,000-strong AU force monitoring a truce in Darfur should be more "proactive" in self-defence and the protection of civilians.

(Additional reporting by Tsegaye Tadesse in Addis Ababa and Marja Novak in Ljubljana)

See STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE AU COMMISSION, ALPHA OUMAR KONARE, ON THE STATUS OF THE DARFUR PEACE AGREEMENT (DPA) AND THE SITUATION IN DARFUR, Addis Ababa, 1st June 2006. - Reuters/ST