Darfur conflict is close to "moment of truth"

By Alaa Shahine

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - The conflict in Darfur is approaching a "moment of truth" requiring Sudan and rebel groups to open peace talks, a senior United Nations official said on Tuesday.

Jan Eliasson, U.N. special envoy for Sudan, was speaking in Khartoum hours after rights group Amnesty International accused China and Russia of breaking a U.N. arms embargo on Darfur by letting weapons into Sudan.

Eliasson said had arrived with African Union special envoy Salim Ahmed Salim "in the spirit of action" and wanted to see movement that would help end the crisis.

"We are moving closer to the moment of truth, mainly when ... the parties have to start seriously to prepare for negotiations," he told reporters at the airport.

"We will among ourselves now take some concrete steps...I think the conflict has gone long enough. Impatience is great."

China, the biggest foreign investor in Sudan, denied the Amnesty accusations and said it would send military engineers as part of a U.N. package to support the AU force in Darfur.

A Russian Foreign Ministry official also denied the charges.

Amnesty said it was "deeply dismayed" by the flow of arms allowed by China and Russia, both permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, and said the weapons were often diverted to be used in conflict in Darfur and neighbouring Chad.