NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Oct 7, 2008 (AFP) - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Tuesday he intends to implement a no-fly zone over the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur if he wins the race for the White House.

PARIS, Oct 7, 2008 (AFP) - France told a senior Sudanese envoy Tuesday that Khartoum must cooperate with the international community to end violence in Darfur and bring to justice two suspects wanted for war crimes.

'In all of these areas, France expects actions,' Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told Nafie Ali Nafie, an advisor to Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir.

KHARTOUM, Oct 7, 2008 (AFP) - A Nigerian UN peacekeeper was killed when up to 60 gunmen ambushed a patrol in Sudan's war-torn western region of Darfur, a UN spokesman said on Tuesday.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 7, 2008 (AFP) - The security situation in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region is deteriorating, and the UN-African Union force (UNAMID) struggling to maintain peace there is overstretched, UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned Tuesday.

KHARTOUM, Oct 7, 2008 (AFP) - A Nigerian UN peacekeeper was shot and fatally wounded when dozens of gunmen ambushed a patrol in Sudan's war-torn western region of Darfur, a UN spokesman said on Tuesday.

The sergeant died on Monday when up to 60 gunmen ambushed a patrol from the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 6, 2008 (AFP) - The new head of UN peacekeeping arrived in Khartoum Monday for a week-long familiarization tour of Sudan including talks with Sudanese leaders and a visit to strife-torn Darfur, the UN spokeswoman said Monday.

Leaders of the world's poorest nations wrapped up a summit on Friday
calling on the International Criminal Court's top prosecutor to drop
his bid to indict Sudan's president on genocide charges.

ACCRA, Oct 3, 2008 (AFP) - Leaders of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries on Friday called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor to suspend efforts to indict the Sudanese President on genocide charges.

THE HAGUE, Oct 1, 2008 (AFP) - Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court sought to persuade a panel of judges Wednesday to grant their request for a genocide arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir.

A closed hearing was held at the court's seat in The Hague in the morning for the prosecution to present evidence to back up the request for a warrant.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 25, 2008 (AFP) - International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo is resisting attempts by European and African powers to back off a genocide case against Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir.

Moreno-Ocampo, at the United Nations General Assembly to press his message, told AFP that politics and the mission of the ICC should not mix.

BRUSSELS, Sept 23, 2008 (AFP) - The European Union condemned Tuesday the Sudanese military's use of white aircraft in strife-torn Darfur, calling it a deliberate attempt to create confusion with UN planes.

THE HAGUE, Sept 22, 2008 (AFP) - The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court heads for New York this week seeking backing for his bid to try Sudan's president Omar al-Beshir for war crimes, the tribunal said.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 22, 2008 (AFP) - The head of a pan-Islamic organization called Monday for more time for negotiations to resolve the conflict in Darfur conflict before any move to arrest Sudanese President Omar el-Beshir.

KHARTOUM, Sept 19, 2008 (AFP) - Thousands of vulnerable civilians are feared to have been displaced by a recent upsurge of fighting in north Darfur, the United Nations head of humanitarian affairs for Sudan warned on Friday.

KHARTOUM, Sept 18, 2008 (AFP) - Sudanese aircraft bombed Darfur rebel positions on Thursday in the latest offensive in the war-torn region, rebels said, with the UN reporting wounded government troops in the area.

GENEVA, Sept 17, 2008 (AFP) - Sudan on Wednesday denounced an independent UN human rights official as an 'agent of the European Union' after she criticised Khartoum's human rights record in the conflict-riven region of Darfur.

KHARTOUM, Sept 17, 2008 (AFP) - Darfur rebels on Wednesday accused the Sudanese government of launching heavy attacks in north Darfur, the latest in a series of violence in Sudan's war-torn western region.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 17, 2008 (AFP) - The joint UN-African Union peace force for Sudan's strife-torn Darfur region is expected to reach only half of its mandated strength by year's end, the new head of UN peacekeeping said Wednesday.

GENEVA, Sept 16, 2008 (AFP) - The human rights situation in Sudan is getting worse, particularly in the conflict-riven region of Darfur where civilians are coming under increasing air attacks, a UN rights expert said Tuesday.

'The situation is deteriorating,' special rapporteur Sima Samar told journalists.

KHARTOUM, September 15, 2008 (AFP) - Darfur rebels said on Monday they were fighting back against attacking government troops for a fourth day, the latest in a series of battles in Sudan's war-torn western region.

KHARTOUM, September 15, 2008 (AFP) - Darfur rebels said on Monday they were fighting back against attacking government troops for a fourth day, the latest in a series of battles in Sudan's war-torn western region.

KHARTOUM, September 14, 2008 (AFP) - Sudanese armed forces have attacked the only Darfur rebel group to have signed a 2006 peace deal, killing four ex-rebels and threatening to end a two-year alliance, their leader said on Sunday.

KHARTOUM, September 14, 2008 (AFP) - The trial of 19 alleged Darfur rebels accused of taking part in an unprecedented attack on the Sudanese capital in May was adjourned on Sunday after six defendants said they were minors.

KHARTOUM, September 14, 2008 (AFP) - Rebel fighters accused government forces on Sunday of burning three villages and destroying a health clinic in north Darfur during heavy clashes involving more than 100 vehicles.

KHARTOUM, September 13, 2008 (AFP) - Rebels accused the Sudanese government on Saturday of launching attacks in a mountainous area of Darfur.

'The attack began on Friday with the government army and Janjaweed militias, and it is continuing now,' said Salah Bob, a field commander from the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction led by exiled commander Abdel Wahid Mohammed Nur.

KHARTOUM, September 13, 2008 (AFP) - Rebels accused the Sudanese government on Saturday of launching attacks in a mountainous area of south Darfur.

'The attack began on Friday with the government army and Janjaweed militias, and it is continuing now,' said Salah Bob, a field commander from the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction led by exiled commander Abdel Wahid Mohammed Nur.

UNITED NATIONS, September 12, 2008 (AFP) - UN boss Ban Ki-moon on Friday welcomed the establishment of an Arab League panel led by Qatar that will work with the African Union and United Nations to sponsor peace talks in Sudan's Darfur region.

DOHA, September 12, 2008 (AFP) - Gas-rich Qatar is bracing to show its diplomatic mettle again with an Arab League mandate to try to broker peace in Sudan's war-ravaged Darfur region.

KHARTOUM, September 11, 2008 (AFP) - Darfur rebel groups dismissed on Thursday an Arab League initiative aimed at bringing peace to the war-ravaged western Sudanese region, saying the move came five years too late.

GENEVA, September 9, 2008 (AFP) - A UN human rights expert on Tuesday accused the government in Khartoum of indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Darfur and affording impunity to those who abuse human rights in the war-torn region.

KHARTOUM, September 8, 2008 (AFP) - Sudanese government forces have moved in to control rebel strongholds in North Darfur state after two days of heavy clashes, fighters from the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) said on Monday.

KHARTOUM, September 8, 2008 (AFP) - The African Union will ask the United Nations to defer any proceedings for alleged Darfur war crimes against Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir, its chairman said in Khartoum on Monday.

KHARTOUM, September 8, 2008 (AFP) - The African Union will ask the United Nations to defer possible proceedings for alleged Darfur war crimes against Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir, its chairman said in Khartoum on Monday.

KHARTOUM, September 7, 2008 (AFP) - Food aid deliveries will be cut in parts of war-torn Darfur in western Sundan if the security situation does not improve, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Sunday.

KHARTOUM, September 7, 2008 (AFP) - Dozens of Darfur rebels and Sudanese government soldiers have been killed in fierce clashes in North Darfur state, fighters from the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) said on Sunday.

KHARTOUM, September 7, 2008 (AFP) - Dozens of Darfur rebels and Sudanese government soldiers have been killed in fierce clashes in north Darfur, fighters from the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) said on Sunday.

KHARTOUM, September 6, 2008 (AFP) - Darfur rebels on Saturday accused the Sudanese government of inflicting heavy casualties during bombing raids in north Darfur and battles with fighters from the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA).

THE HAGUE, September 4, 2008 (AFP) - The Sudanese government is facing a 'crisis' of disagreement over cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) whose prosecutor wants to arrest the country's president, Sudan's foreign minister said Thursday.