Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir on Thursday launched his "people's initiative" for peace in Darfur with an elaborate ceremony attended by regional dignitaries but no rebels involved in fighting.

"Despite the difficulties and the obstacles ... we announce our resolve to find a definitive solution this time," Beshir told a large hall crammed with officials in the Sudanese capital.

"We call on all concerned parties to support the state's efforts ... for peace," he said.

Numerous initiatives have been started to bring peace to the western Sudanese region since rebels there rose up against Khartoum almost six years ago, complaining of marginalisation, but all have failed.

Critics say Beshir's plan, which will involve talks on Friday and recommendations for peace on Saturday, is aimed at distracting attention from potential Darfur war crimes charges against him by the International Criminal Court.

"The fundamental solutions to the problem in Darfur ... lie in its comprehensive and balanced development and a decentralised administrative system," Beshir said, promising 250 million dollars in aid for Darfur.

Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa warned that the initiative, boycotted by several Sudanese opposition parties and all active Darfur rebels, could not afford to fail.

"The invitation is extended to everyone, whatever their differences of opinion or position, to join the rest of their people and discuss Sudan's problems with trust, frankly and transparently," he said.

"I call on everyone to adopt the path of dialogue and distance themselves from the path of arms. I call on all those who bear arms to lay them down and head for dialogue."

"This initiative cannot be allowed to fail."

The African Union and United Nations have deployed thousands of peacekeepers to Darfur, but are still thousands short of the projected 26 000-strong force.

Djibril Bassole, who in August became the first joint chief mediator for the AU-UN, told the assembly that "the African Union, the Arab League and the international community are all placing great hopes in your initiative."

"Some observers have reserves on the capacity of this initiative to find effective solutions to resolve the Darfur question," Djibril said, according to an Arabic translation broadcast on Sudan state television.

"These observers refer to the fact that leaders of armed movements are not present here.

"As mediator I invite you to guarantee that these discussions take into account everything that will lead to a dialogue with these movements."

Minni Minawi, the head of the only Darfur rebel faction to have made peace with Khartoum, said Sudan was going through "exceptional circumstances which require everyone to unite their efforts to exit from the impasse."

In October 2007, UN-and AU-mediated talks on Darfur in the Libyan city of Sirte aimed at convincing key rebel leaders to join the peace talks quickly collapsed after the main rebel groups boycotted the event.

According to the United Nations, up to 300 000 people have died in Darfur and around 2.5 million have fled their homes since rebels rose up against Khartoum in February 2003. Sudan says 10 000 people have been killed.

The war began when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated Khartoum regime and state-backed Arab militias, fighting for resources and power in one of the most remote and deprived places on earth.

AFP