Sudan’s Taha to hold talks over Darfur with EU official

Mar 5, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The Second Vice-President, Ali Osman Taha, will hold talks with seniors EU officials during his visit to the Belgian capital, Brussels next Wednesday.

The Sudanese ambassador to the EU, Ali Yusuf Ahmad, said the talks will concentrate on the Darfur issue and ways of hastening the current peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria.

He said that views will be exchanged on Sudan’s stance to stick to the AU forces in Darfur, which it maintains should not be replaced by a UN force.

The envoy said that the vice-president would explain the latest developments in Darfur and the process of implementing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Sudanese government is campaigning for the maintaining of the AU force in Darfur and working to convince regional and international actors to adopt this approach instead of UN takeover.

(ST)