Sudan's government will accept a larger African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur if the troops are used to contain and demobilise rebel forces, the head of Khartoum's team at peace talks revealed.

Since February last year, the western Darfur region of Sudan has been riven by a war pitting rebels of black African origin against government soldiers and Khartoum's proxy Arab militia, the Janjaweed. The Janjaweed are accused by some western governments and international organisations of carrying out a scorched-earth genocidal campaign on villagers, displacing them inside Sudan and sending others fleeing abroad. The United Nations estimates that 1.4 million people have fled their homes in Darfur.

The Khartoum government would retain responsibility for the protection of civilians, al-Khalifa told reporters outside the conference centre where talks to end an 18-month rebel war resumed Wednesday after stalling momentarily over the issues of rebel demobilisation and sending in more AU troops.

Last week, 150 Rwandan soldiers deployed in Darfur as the first contingent of an initial 300-strong AU force.