REBELS FROM THE DARFUR REGION OF SUDAN ARE DISSATISFIED WITH A PROPOSED PEACE SETTLEMENT, REBEL LEADERS SAID ON FRIDAY, AS GLOBAL PRESSURE BUILT FOR THEM TO STRIKE A DEAL WITH THE GOVERNMENT BY A SUNDAY DEADLINE, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. MEDIATORS FROM THE AFRICAN UNION (AU) HAVE PROPOSED A DRAFT AGREEMENT ON SECURITY, POWER-SHARING AND WEALTH-SHARING AIMED AT ENDING THE 3-YEAR-OLD CONFLICT THAT HAS KILLED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN SUDAN'S ARID WEST. SEVERAL REBEL LEADERS SAID THEY WOULD BE UNABLE TO MEET THE SUNDAY DEADLINE SET BY THE AU TO CONCLUDE THE TALKS, WHICH HAVE DRAGGED ON FOR TWO YEARS IN THE NIGERIAN CAPITAL ABUJA. "THE DEADLINE OF APRIL 30 IS IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE WE NEED TIME. ... OUR RIGHTS MUST BE IN THE DOCUMENT OR ELSE WE WILL NOT ACCEPT IT," SAID ABDEL WAHED MOHAMMED AL-NUR, HEAD OF ONE OF THE FACTIONS OF THE SUDAN LIBERATION ARMY (SLA). THE GOVERNMENT, BY CONTRAST, SOUNDED UPBEAT ABOUT PROSPECTS FOR A DEAL AS DIPLOMATS, INCLUDING U.N. ENVOY TO SUDAN JAN PRONK, CONVERGED ON ABUJA TO MAKE A FINAL PUSH FOR PEACE. "THE AU PROPOSAL IS A GOOD FRAMEWORK FOR THE UPCOMING SETTLEMENT," VICE PRESIDENT ALI OSMAN MOHAMED TAHA TOLD REUTERS AFTER A MEETING WITH NIGERIAN PRESIDENT OLUSEGUN OBASANJO. AU CHIEF MEDIATOR SALIM AHMED SALIM SAID HE WAS UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE REBELS WOULD FINALLY AGREE TO SIGN. "IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY. I THINK WITHIN THE (REBEL) MOVEMENTS THERE ARE SOME WHO RECOGNISE THIS IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM. I HOPE THEY DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF LETTING IT GO," SALIM TOLD REUTERS. THE REBELS' MAIN PROBLEM WITH THE DRAFT IS THAT IT DOES NOT MEET THEIR DEMANDS FOR DARFUR TO GET A NEW POST OF SUDANESE VICE PRESIDENT AND A NEW REGIONAL GOVERNMENT. THEY HAVE OTHER OBJECTIONS ON ISSUES RANGING FROM COMPENSATION TO DISARMAMENT. HOWEVER, OBSERVERS AT THE TALKS SAID SOME POWERFUL REBEL LEADERS, INCLUDING MINNI ARCUA MINNAWI WHO HEADS THE OTHER SLA FACTION, WERE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO REACH A DEAL. THE REBELS FROM ETHNICALLY MIXED DARFUR TOOK UP ARMS IN EARLY 2003 OVER WHAT THEY SAW AS NEGLECT BY THE ARAB-DOMINATED CENTRAL GOVERNMENT. THE REBELS ACCUSE THE GOVERNMENT OF USING PROXY ARAB MILITIAS TO CRUSH THEM, BUT KHARTOUM DENIES THIS. --MORE 2330 Local Time 2030 GMT
