Formal negotiations between the Sudanese government and two rebel groups from the Darfur region began in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Sunday.
Representatives of two rebels groups; the Justice and Equality Movement and the Minnawi faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement, joined the talks on Sunday.
A third group, the Nour faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement, refused to attend the negotiations.
“We will be meeting over the next few days to look at what needs to be done with regard to the conflict in Darfur,” said former President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki, who is serving as the African Union’s chief mediator during the talks.