Sudan for unconditional talks on Darfur

TRIPOLI, Libya, May 16, 2005 (UPI) — Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail said his government is ready to enter unconditional talks with the opposition in war-torn Darfur.

Ismail (photo) made the comment Monday after arriving in the Libyan capital Tripoli for a summit on the Darfur crisis. The summit will be attended by the presidents of Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria, Chad, Gabon and Libya in addition to Darfur opposition leaders.

“We hope the summit will reiterate commitment to the cease-fire which was previously achieved,” Ismail said.

“We also hope the summit will fix a date for resuming negotiations without conditions, and come up with a clear agenda for achieving a political settlement in Darfur,” Ismail added.

He said his government is open to unconditional negotiations with the opposition in Darfur “to discuss political and economic issues because we feel that the people of Darfur should have a share in power and the economy.”

The Arab Janjaweed militia, which is blamed for racial cleansing and massacres against African tribes in the province, “are a bunch of thieves and killers and the Sudanese government has no relation with them whatsoever,” he said.