Moreover, some Western countries have been unwilling to exert pressure on Darfur's rebel groups, analysts said.

Liu repeated his call for Darfur's resistance forces to return to the negotiating table. He also called on countries with influence over these factions to make efforts to persuade them to join in the political process.

"We urge Western countries, we request them to use their positive influence to engage those factions who have until now refused to come over to the negotiating table, to join the political process," Liu said.

He voiced similar views earlier in the interview with Xinhua and said that only in this way could peace and stability be realized to some extent in the Darfur region, and the peacekeeping operations be carried out in a smooth way, Liu said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 29, 2008)