Sudanese official confident in Chad’s keenness to solve Darfur issue

KHARTOUM, Feb 14, 2005 (Xinhua) — A senior Sudanese official said Monday he believes Chadian President Idriss Deby’s keenness to realize security and stability in both Sudan and Chad, the Sudanese News Agency reported.

Secretary General of the Sudanese National Congress Ibrahim Ahmed Omar said he hopes the role of Chad would be accepted by both sides of the Darfur conflict.

He said solving the Darfur conflict would serve the interests of both countries.

Omar said his government rejected the call by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), a main rebel group in the western Darfur region, to expand the framework of the Darfur reconciliation to include the United Nations and the European Union or any other international power.

Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir would participate in an African mini-summit, hosted by Chad in its capital Ndjamena on Wednesday, for talks over the Darfur issue.

The Sudanese newspaper Alsahafa reported on Monday that JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim had expressed doubts on the capability of the African Union and the Chadian president to solve the Darfur conflict.