US’s Frazer in Libya to discuss Darfur

Mar 7, 2006 (TRIPOLI) — A senior US State Department official arrived in Tripoli to discuss Sudan’s Darfur region days ahead of a key meeting on peacekeeping in the strife-torn area, the US representation in Libya said.

Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer is to discuss Darfur and American-Libyan relations with Libyan officials during her two-day visit, although no other details of her programme were available.

Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in February rejected the proposed replacement of an African Union force in Darfur by UN peacekeepers, mirroring Khartoum’s own strong opposition.

Frazer’s visit comes ahead of a session of the AU Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa on Friday which is expected to discuss proposals to transfer responsibility for the Darfur force to the United Nations.

The AU has said it has no funds to operate beyond March and is considering a handover of its Darfur mission to the world body.

The UN Security Council in February approved contingency planning for UN peacekeepers to take over from the AU force but, despite strong pressure from Western governments, Khartoum has so far remained hostile to the deployment of UN troops there.

Sudan’s President Omar al-Beshir last month warned that Darfur would become a “graveyard” for any foreign military contingent entering the region against Khartoum’s will.

Up to 300,000 people are estimated to have died since the conflict erupted in February 2003, pitting ethnic minority rebels against the Arab-dominated regime in Khartoum and its militia allies.

Some 2.4 million people have fled their homes.

(ST/AFP)