The African Group at the UN-led climate change talks expressed concern on Monday that some developed countries are trying to kill the Kyoto Protocol by discarding the two-track negotiation mechanism.

Djemouh Kamel, chairperson of the group, said at a press conference that African countries were extremely disappointed that some developed countries are trying to abandon the dual-track negotiation mechanism which has been a guiding principle under the Bali Action Plan to achieve emissions reduction.

He said that Africa would not go along with one level of consultation which only concentrated on the broader discussions on a long-term vision for cooperative action on climate change, while relegated talks on a second commitment period to the Kyoto Protocol.

This is suicidal, he said.

If Africa agrees to move on with this kind of negotiations, he said, it would result in the continent losing out on what they setout to achieve in the talks.

Consequently, another member of the Africa Group, Mama Konate of Mali said that the Kyoto Protocol is of paramount importance, especially for the agricultural sector in Mali.

"A two-degree increase in the temperature will result in a 25 percent reduction of staple crops and this will translate into hunger by the year 2020," he warned.

He noted that developed countries took a decision in Bali two years ago for the two-track negotiation mechanism, but now a few countries have decided to remove the other track which would be catastrophic to developing countries.

Representatives from over 190 countries on Monday entered a critical stage of negotiations for a new global deal on the fight against climate change.

While developing countries insist that the Kyoto Protocol, which commits developed countries to compulsory targets of emission reduction, should remain valid after its first commitment period ends in 2012, developed countries wanted to replace it with a new legal instrument.

(Xinhua News Agency December 15, 2009)