Libyan Kadhafi, Sudanese Al-Bashir discuss developments in Darfour

TRIPOLI, Libya, May 16, 2005 (PANA) — The Libyan leader Moammar Kadhafi and
President Omar Hassan El Bashir of Sudan on Monday afternoon
in Tripoli reviewed developments in the troubled western
Darfur province since the signing of “Tripoli II Declaration”.

Libyan Leader Moamar Gadhafi, right, meets with with Sudanese President Lt. Gen. Omar el-Bashir upon his arrival at Tripoli, Monday, May 16, 2005. (AP).

Representatives of two rebel groups and civil administrators in
Darfur signed the declaration at the end of their third meeting
held in Tripoli under Colonel Kadhafi’s patronage.

In that document, the belligerents reaffirmed their commitment to
respect the cease-fire agreements and protocols they signed with
the Sudanese government, to co-operate with the region’s civil
administration and local dignitaries.

Both parties also promised to release all their captives and war
prisoners, end of all forms of attacks and to open routes between
different urban centres to facilitate the movement of assistance
and trade.

The Libyan and Sudanese heads of state also discussed the summit
of five African leaders devoted to the crisis in Darfur due to
open in the Libyan capital Monday night.

El Bashir commended Colonel Kadhafi for his unrelenting efforts
to find a solution to the crisis in Darfur, adding that his
efforts had culminated into the signing of the Tripoli II
declaration.

Kadhafi and El Bashir also exchanged views on the agenda of the
next African Union (AU) to be held in Sirte, Libya next July.

They stressed the need to give particular attention to the Libyan
proposals that were adopted by the Abuja summit in January to
create a presidential commission ahead of the next summit in
Sirte.

Libya proposed the creation of ministries of
foreign affairs, defence, foreign trade, transport and
telecommunications within the AU Commission.

Tripoli also called for the removal of tariff barriers between AU
member states, the unification of all transport and
telecommunication links on the continent, and the creation of an
African satellite.

Kadhafi and El Bashir also discussed the on-going preparations
for the sixth CEN-SAD summit to be held in Ouagadougou, Burkina
Faso next month.