Push to bring Sudan, South Sudan into crisis talks

African Union mediators yesterday redoubled their efforts to kick start crisis talks between Sudan and South Sudan after fresh fighting that Khartoum accuses Juba of backing.
Teams from both nations have been in the Ethiopian capital since Saturday, but so far there have been no bilateral Khartoum-Juba talks. Each team has met separately with the mediators headed by former South African president Thabo Mbeki, who has imposed a media blackout on proceedings.
People close to the talks, held at a luxury hotel, said the aim was still to get a bilateral meeting going later yesterday.
The talks were called amid international alarm and fears of return to a wider war following fighting between troops from the north and South last Monday and Tuesday in the oil-rich Heglig region close to the disputed border -- the most serious clashes since South Sudan's independence in July.
The AU, UN Security Council and European Union have all called for an end to the fighting, with the US blaming Khartoum for most of it.