Darfur meeting pushes for wider rebel presence

By Lamine Ghanmi

SIRTE, Libya (Reuters) - Sudanese government officials and Darfur rebels will meet privately on Monday to discuss an agenda for peace talks but delegates said little real progress was expected in the absence of key rebel leaders.

Declaring the two-day opening session of the talks closed, U.N. envoy Jan Eliasson added in remarks to the gathering in Libya on Sunday he had seen signs the meeting could help end 4-1/2 years of violence in the devastated western region.

But he acknowledged wider rebel participation was needed, and diplomats said U.N. and African Union (AU) officials were expected to travel to Sudan in coming days to try to persuade key rebel leaders to abandon their boycott of the talks.

"We cannot lose momentum after we started serious and promising dialogue," Eliasson said, adding mediators wanted delegates to agree an agenda and identify pressing issues.

"This process must end with the outcome we are looking for. The all-inclusive process will continue and will not be adjourned. The word 'adjourn' is not relevant here."

Many rebel leaders are not attending the gathering, complaining at what they call government-inspired violence and a refusal by U.N. mediators to heed requests for a delay to allow them to form a united position and agree on a delegation.

"Nothing will be decided, including any endorsement of the ceasefire, until this goal is achieved -- more participation of the movements," rebel delegate Alhadi Agabeldour told Reuters, referring to a truce declared by Khartoum on Saturday.

"The most we could achieve from this meeting is to give more time for more participation of the other rebels."