Sudan: US official urges Darfur rebel leaders to unite

The United States Deputy Secretary of State, Robert Zoellick, has urged the divided leadership of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) to overcome their differences and present a united front at the upcoming peace negotiations. "One of the most important assets for the SLM is the support of countries around the world. But to maintain that support, they have to respect the ceasefire. They can't follow a path of violence, and they have to come up with a common negotiating position," Zoellick told reporters in Nairobi on Tuesday, after a failed attempt to bring the rebel leaders together.