Sudanese Rebels

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has announced a one-month extension of his unilateral ceasefire in fighting with rebels in the country's war zones.

A prominent Sudanese rebel group on Wednesday signed a deal with the United Nations to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers in its ranks.

A Kenyan official says a South Sudanese rebel spokesman has been deported to South Sudan over a Facebook posting, while colleagues fear for his life and human rights workers say he was a U.N.-registered refugee.

Thirteen United Nations workers in South Sudan kidnapped by rebels have been safely freed a week after their abduction, the UN said today.

President Omar al-Bashir launched talks in Khartoum today on Sudan's ailing economy and the insurgencies in its border regions, despite a boycott by mainstream opposition and rebel groups.

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has ordered all government troops to cease fighting rebel forces as part of a peace agreement, his spokesman said, ahead of a full ceasefire on Saturday.

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Thursday proposed a two-month ceasefire with rebels fighting to overthrow his government and set a date for a new meeting in a national reconciliation process that collapsed in January.

Sudanese insurgents said Friday they had launched an offensive in war-torn South Kordofan to try to disrupt nationwide elections due next month, which the army said it repelled.

Sudanese Government forces and rebels have been battling for control of a strategic area in the war-torn Darfur region, the two sides say, giving conflicting reports on developments there.

Sudanese troops repelled rebel attacks on two villages in the war-torn South Kordofan region, killing 50 insurgents and losing four of their own men, the army said on Tuesday.

The Sudanese army said it killed 110 rebels as it repelled an assault in South Kordofan state today, although the insurgents denied the death toll.

South Sudanese rebels and government troops battled today, breaking a fresh ceasefire deal and dashing hopes to a swift end to five months of brutal civil war.

South Sudanese rebels withdrew on Tuesday a threat to boycott peace talks with the government, saying mediators had promised to address their list of demands.

Government troops and rebels in South Sudan still fought sporadic battles after a ceasefire came into force on Friday, the United Nations said.

South Sudanese rebels and government negotiators will hold their first face-to-face talks on Sunday, after several days of delay, to thrash out a ceasefire deal and end weeks of ethnic fighting in the world's youngest state.

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has announced a one-month extension of his unilateral ceasefire in fighting with rebels in the country's war zones.

A prominent Sudanese rebel group on Wednesday signed a deal with the United Nations to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers in its ranks.

A Kenyan official says a South Sudanese rebel spokesman has been deported to South Sudan over a Facebook posting, while colleagues fear for his life and human rights workers say he was a U.N.-registered refugee.

Thirteen United Nations workers in South Sudan kidnapped by rebels have been safely freed a week after their abduction, the UN said today.

President Omar al-Bashir launched talks in Khartoum today on Sudan's ailing economy and the insurgencies in its border regions, despite a boycott by mainstream opposition and rebel groups.

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has ordered all government troops to cease fighting rebel forces as part of a peace agreement, his spokesman said, ahead of a full ceasefire on Saturday.

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Thursday proposed a two-month ceasefire with rebels fighting to overthrow his government and set a date for a new meeting in a national reconciliation process that collapsed in January.

Sudanese insurgents said Friday they had launched an offensive in war-torn South Kordofan to try to disrupt nationwide elections due next month, which the army said it repelled.

Sudanese Government forces and rebels have been battling for control of a strategic area in the war-torn Darfur region, the two sides say, giving conflicting reports on developments there.

Sudanese troops repelled rebel attacks on two villages in the war-torn South Kordofan region, killing 50 insurgents and losing four of their own men, the army said on Tuesday.

The Sudanese army said it killed 110 rebels as it repelled an assault in South Kordofan state today, although the insurgents denied the death toll.

South Sudanese rebels and government troops battled today, breaking a fresh ceasefire deal and dashing hopes to a swift end to five months of brutal civil war.

South Sudanese rebels withdrew on Tuesday a threat to boycott peace talks with the government, saying mediators had promised to address their list of demands.

Government troops and rebels in South Sudan still fought sporadic battles after a ceasefire came into force on Friday, the United Nations said.

South Sudanese rebels and government negotiators will hold their first face-to-face talks on Sunday, after several days of delay, to thrash out a ceasefire deal and end weeks of ethnic fighting in the world's youngest state.