Rebels reject plan to end violence in Darfur region

There was a rally Sunday in Washington, D.C., to call attention to the conflict.
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) -- Sudanese rebels rejected a proposal to end the bloodshed in the Darfur region Sunday, throwing into question the outcome of yet another series of negotiations to put a stop to fighting that has left tens of thousands of people dead.
The rebels called for changes to the deal hours before an African Union deadline -- and after the Sudanese government indicated it would accept the proposal.
In Washington, actors, athletes, politicians and religious leaders rallied to call attention to the Darfur conflict and urge greater U.S. involvement in ending what the United Nations has called one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters.
Years of fighting between ethnic groups and Arab militias in western Sudan have left at least 180,000 people dead and about 2 million homeless. Darfur's violence recently spilled into neighboring Chad and threatens to escalate: Osama bin Laden urged his followers last week to go to Sudan to fight a proposed U.N. presence.
Refugees' plight
Amid the negotiations, the plight of 3 million refugees in Darfur has worsened. The U.N. World Food Program said Friday that it was cutting rations in half, citing a lack of funds.
Sudan has indicated it might accept a U.N. force in Darfur to aid African Union troops if a peace treaty is signed, and the head of Sudan's delegation, Magzoub El-Khalif, said Sunday the government is willing to accept a draft resolution circulated last week.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on China and Russia to join the United States in pushing Sudan to accept U.N. forces.
At the rally in Washington, the crowd chanted "Not on our watch" as a parade of speakers lined up for their turn on a stage on the National Mall, the Capitol serving as a backdrop.
"The personal motivation for a lot of us is the Holocaust," said Boston-based Rabbi Or Rose of Jewish Seminarians for Justice. "Given our history and experience, we feel an obligation to stand up and speak out."
Among those headlining the Washington rally was the actor George Clooney.
"You feel completely overwhelmed," Clooney, just back from a trip to Africa with his father, told AP Radio News ahead of the rally. "We flew over areas and my father and I would look at each other and go, this is just too much. But then what are we to do? Nothing?"
Rebels not satisfied
The Sudanese government had said it was ready to sign the agreement. But a spokesman for one of Sudan's rebel factions said the proposal does not adequately address implementation nor their key demands for a vice president from Darfur and more autonomy. Hahmed Hussein, a spokesman for the Justice and Equality Movement, said he was speaking for both rebel factions.
Sudan announced its readiness to sign earlier Sunday -- after it became clear the rebels were not ready to reciprocate.
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