Sudan Considers Revised Plan for Disarming Arab Militias

ABUJA, Nigeria —  Sudan was considering proposals for faster disarmament of Arab militias in the Darfur region and acceptance of more rebels into its security forces, government spokesman Abdulrahman Zuma said Wednesday.

The concessions were part of a revised peace agreement drafted with the help of top U.S. and British diplomats, who intervened Tuesday after rebels rejected a proposal submitted by the African Union.

“Through this so-called American initiative, it seems that the government is going to make some concessions, especially about reintegration and disarmament,” Zuma said.

The initial AU draft called for disarmament of the Arab militias, known as janjaweed, but did not specify how soon that would be done or how many of the rebels would be absorbed into Sudan’s security forces.

No details were released on the timetable or numbers in the revised plan.