The United Nations Security Council urged on Tuesday two rebel groups in Darfur, western Sudan, and the Sudanese government to resume talks and secure an early settlement of the two-and-half-year long conflict.

The council "strongly urges the Sudan Liberation Army, the Justice and Equality Movement and the government of Sudan to return to the talks in Abuja on Sept. 16 ... and urges all parties to negotiate constructively and urgently to secure an early agreement, " said Japanese UN Ambassador Kenzo Oshima in a statement.

"Only through a political solution can a durable peace and reconciliation be achieved in Darfur," said Oshima, whose country holds the council presidency for August.

The council hopes that the example set by the comprehensive peace agreement reached to end Sudan's North-South conflict will have a positive impact on the Abuja talks and on the future of Darfur within a stable and united Sudan, he noted.

Oshima said the council remains firmly committed to the cause of peace in all Sudan, including through the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement and the resolution of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

The Sudanese government and the Sudan Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement signed on July 5 a declaration of principles, which serves as a framework for further good-faith dialogue on more extensive negotiations pertaining to wealth- and power-sharing as part of a comprehensive settlement to the crisis in Darfur.

But the talks between Khartoum and the two rebel groups have since then stalled.

The Darfur conflict has left tens of thousands of people dead and nearly 2 million others displaced, according to estimates of the United Nations.

Source: Xinhua