African Union sees no end to Darfur violence

"One of our helicopters has been shot. They are firing on our helicopters. This shows that the cease-fire is not being observed. They did not comply. They have not stopped fighting," AU spokesman Assane Ba told reporters on Sunday evening.

He gave no further details and it was not clear who had shot at the helicopter, or when.

The AU has cease-fire monitors in Sudan's troubled Darfur region and the pan-African body has also been mediating in faltering peace talks in Nigeria between the Sudanese government and the rebels.

Sudan said on Sunday it would immediately and unconditionally cease hostilities in Darfur and asked the United Nations and AU to request that rebel forces do the same.

"Yes, we will inform our forces in Darfur immediately to stop any fighting, so we will not fire unless we will be attacked by the other side," Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail said in Khartoum.

Ba had accused the Sudanese government of failing to comply with a deadline to stop fighting in Darfur, describing fresh helicopter strikes on a village in South Darfur state.

The AU force commander in Darfur, Nigerian General Festus Okonkwo, told mediators government forces attacked the village of Labado on Saturday, Ba reported.