Sudan's government said on Friday three weeks of peace talks with Darfur rebels had ended without agreement, accusing the United States of bolstering rebel resolve to avoid compromise. But the government and the rebels would return to the negotiating table after a month to try to hammer out a deal on humanitarian and security issues, said Sudanese Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Najib Abdulwahab. "Statements made by senior officials of the USA poisoned the talks environment and sent wrong signals to the rebels who immediately stiffened their positions," he told reporters in the Nigerian capital Abuja where the talks have been held. The United States, pressing for U.N. Security Council action against the Islamic government in Khartoum over what it calls genocide in Sudan's western Darfur region, rejected the charge. The United States has accused Khartoum of backing Arab militias, known as Janjaweed, who have been blamed for atrocities against African villagers in the vast, arid region. The two rebel groups at the talks were due to meet Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is also chairman of the African Union, before making any comment. The talks were designed to end a 19-month conflict in Darfur. --More 0008 Local Time 2108 GMT
