Talks aimed at ending the four-year war in Sudan’s Darfur region scheduled today in Sirte, Libya are threatened. Two of the main rebel groups, the SLA-Unity and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) have decided not to attend.

Minutes before the talks were scheduled to begin VOA reporter, Akwei Thompson asked George Ola-Davies, spokesperson for the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General to Darfur for his reaction to the announcement that the main two main rebel groups will not attend the talks.

Ola-Davies said “this is a process, it is a process that will continue; yes, there are some absences, but that does not mean that the entire movements are absent.”

He added that despite the absences, the opening ceremony will be held and that consultations will continue.