Arab-African committee on Darfur to meet in Doha
December 20, 2008 (CAIRO) — Some Arab and African foreign ministers are expected to meet in the Qatari capital, Doha, on January 4 to discuss the ongoing preparation to organise peace talks between the warring parties in Darfur region.
The Arab League foreign ministers on September 8 decided to establish a six-member committee co-chaired by the Qatari Prime Minister, Hamad bin Jasim, Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Jean Ping and Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa.
The panel is charged with the organisation and sponsorship of peace negotiations between the Sudanese government and the rebel movements. Qatar has been chosen to host the peace talks.
The African-Arab ministerial committee on Darfur would meet in Doha and the meeting will be chaired by Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim bin Jabr al Thani who is the Qatari Prime Minister and the foreign minister alike, deputy Sudanese ambassador in Cairo Idris Suleiman told the Cairo based Al-Gomhuria newspaper.
The ministerial committee will evaluate the undertaken contacts with the Sudanese parties, the regional and the international communities; also it will discuss steps to reach in the forthcoming period in order to hold the peace talks.
The Qatari officials since last September held a series of meeting with the Sudanese officials in Khartoum and visited Darfur where they met with the displaced and the peacekeeping mission. Also the joint mediator Dijbril Bassolé was in Doha for consultations with the Qatari government several times.
Also the British, French and American officials announced their support for the Qatari efforts to organise the talks.
Despite the international pressures the main rebel movements didn’t announced their willingness to take part in the expected peace talks. Besides, their different conditions before the negotiations, they expressed reserves over the role of the Arab League.
(ST)