Despite our American-bred cynicism regarding peace talks in Sudan, Darfur rebels have agreed to a 60-day ceasefire with the Sudanese government. A peace summit, sponsored by the African Union and United Nations, was also agreed to. Sudan has additionally said that it would allow Darfur rebel commanders to safely call a conference in the field if it was monitored by the UN and the AU.

Existing AU forces in Darfur province have been unable to stem the violence there but Sudan had rejected a UN Security Council resolution authorizing 22,500 UN peacekeepers to take over their mission. Now, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has signaled that he may allow UN peacekeepers into western Sudan. Technical UN blue-helmeted peacekeeping troops will be permitted. About 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million driven from their homes in Darfur in what the Sudanese government still refuses to define as genocide.

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