Sudan expects six-party summit in Libya rather than Egypt

KHARTOUM, May 10, 2005 (Xinhua) — A Sudanese official on Tuesday expected that a six-party summit will be held in the Libyan capital Tripoli rather than the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the official Sudanese news agency reported.

Khartoum’s chief negotiator to Abuja peace talks Majzoub al-Khalifa.

Secretary General of the ruling National Congress and head of the government delegation to Abuja peace talks Majzoub el-Khalifa said the summit was to prepare for the next round of Abuja talks under the sponsorship of the African Union (AU).

The Sudanese official did not identify who will attend the summit.

Leading Egyptian newspaper al-Ahram reported last Friday that Egypt would host a five-way summit in mid-May to discuss consequences of a UN resolution on trying Darfur war crime perpetrators.

The report said leaders of Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Nigeria and Chad would attend the summit.

El-Khalifa said Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, during a meeting with tribal leaders of Darfur in Tripoli on Monday, stressed the need to realize stability and development and to facilitate return of refugees and displaced in Darfur.

A mini-African summit on the Darfur crisis had been originally planned in April, but it was cancelled as some leaders said they were unable to show up.

A five-way African summit on the Darfur issue was held in Libya last October.