Government and rebel leaders from Sudan have begun the latest round of talks on the Darfur conflict. Representatives of the Sudanese government and the two main rebel groups are present in Abuja, Nigeria. However, one faction of the main SLM group is boycotting the talks, raising fears over their prospects of success. Talks to try to resolve the conflict, in which 200,000 people have been killed and at least two million displaced, have had limited success. "The inter-Sudanese talks have been extremely difficult and at times seem to have been conducted with complete disregard to the imperative of the situation on the ground in Darfur," said Baba Gana Kingibe, a top African Union official, at the opening session of the talks on Thursday. But he remained optimistic, saying: "This round may turn out to be a turning point for the long suffering people of Darfur." Members of one SLM faction, led by Abdul Wahid Nur, arrived in Abuja for the talks, but another, headed by Minni Minawi, stayed away. Members of the dissenting group said they wanted the SLM's differences settled before it participates in talks.