Darfur referendum set for July 1 - state media

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan will hold a referendum on making Darfur a single region in July, state media said on Sunday, pushing ahead with a vote which would derail any peace talks to resolve a conflict that Washington calls genocide.

Returning Darfur to one region from its current three states is a key demand of Darfur rebels, who believe they would then comprise the majority of the population in Sudan's west and so hold sway at the ballot box in future elections.

But they reject Khartoum's unilateral decision to hold the plebiscite before a peace deal has been signed, and the announcement of a date for the vote will likely end all hopes of a deal because the rebels say they will not accept any vote organised by Khartoum alone.

"The National Elections Commission has announced it is working to hold the administrative referendum in Darfur on July 1 and that voting will continue for two days," state news agency SUNA said on Sunday.

The Qatar-hosted peace talks have been delayed by rebel divisions and continued military operations on the ground, with little tangible progress as Khartoum has gradually reasserted control over major towns and other previously rebel-held areas.

President Omar Hassan al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide committed during Khartoum's brutal counter-insurgency campaign launched in Darfur after rebels took up arms demanding more of a share in wealth and power in 2003.

The African insurgency has commanded unprecedented international attention and sparked a humanitarian emergency which claimed 300,000 lives and drove more than 2 million people from their homes.

The elections commission was accused of fraud during April 2010 polls that returned Bashir's ruling party to power with a massive majority. Much of the opposition boycotted the presidential, parliamentary and gubernatorial elections which observers said did not meet international standards.

(Reporting by Opheera McDoom)