Doha, Qatar - A mediator between a powerful Darfur rebel group and the Sudanese government says the two sides are close to declaring a ceasefire.
The United Nations and African Union mediator, Djibril Bassole, says a "ceasefire will be announced" between the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudanese government as soon as Thursday.
The two sides were holding their first meeting in Qatar's capital. The Justice and Equality Movement is the only one of Darfur's many rebel groups attending the peace talks.
A spokesperson for the rebel movement, Ahmed Hussein, said, that even as the talks were under way, government forces were advancing on the group's positions in Darfur.
The UN says the six-year conflict has left 300 000 people dead. - Sapa-AP