ABUJA, Oct 24: The United Nations' senior envoy to Sudan warned delegates at the Darfur peace talks here on Sunday that the world body would not tolerate any failure on their part to protect civilians or humanitarian aid.

Jan Pronk, special representative of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, came to the Abuja conference to brief government and rebel representatives on the crisis triggered by the 20-month-old conflict in the western region.

"The Darfur conflict is not only a grave conflict for the government and the people of Sudan but also for the world as a whole," he told the African Union-sponsored talks on the eve of the start of formal peace negotiations.

"You have to help resolve the conflict because it's not a localised conflict anymore. It's a global problem. This is a major problem for Darfur, for Sudan, for Africa and for the world," he said.

"We cannot afford for such conflicts to continue and be replicated in other parts of the region or Africa," he warned delegates.

"This is why the government of Sudan and the (rebel) movements must cooperate with the African Union and the United Nations in restoring peace to Darfur," he said, before the talks went behind closed doors.

"Don't say that 'one party is not complying and so we will not comply', because the United Nations will deal with any erring party," he said, recalling two recent UN Security Council resolutions demanding protection for civilians.-AFP