Arab League chief to discuss Darfur with UN, AU officials

CAIRO, Aug 7 (AFP) — Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa is to hold a series of meetings on the situation in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region with African Union and UN officials, Egypt’s MENA news agency reported Saturday.

The official news agency said Mussa would discuss the crisis in Darfur with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s special envoy for Sudan, Jan Pronk, and African Union commission chairman, Alpha Oumar Konare, on Sunday.

The meetings will be held on the fringes of an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers, convened to review developments in the region in light of a July 30 UN resolution on Darfur.

The resolution calls on Sudan to bring the situation in the region under control within 30 days or face international action.

Abul Gheit’s meeting with Mussa will be his first official encounter with the Arab League chief since he became foreign minister.

Pronk and Konare have also been invited to attend the foreign ministers meeting, expected to demand that Sudan be given additional time to address the situation in Darfur.

Arab League sources said that Mussa and Konare would discuss developments in the situation in Darfur and review ways to coordinate Arab and African efforts.

The Mussa-Konare meeting will also review how the League can contribute in the humanitarian efforts, the possibility of deploying Arab observers and helping Khartoum restore security and order in Darfur.

Some 50,000 people have died in the 17-month conflict in Darfur pitting government forces and their Arab militia allies against two main local rebel groups. More than a million people have been displaced in the crisis.