Sudan says Arab League will attend negotiations on Darfur

KHARTOUM, Aug 15, 2004 (dpa) — The Sudanese government confirmed Sunday the participation of the Arab League (AL) in political talks to end the conflict in Sudan’s western region of Darfur.

Mahjoub al Khalifa, head of the government delegation participating in talks with Darfur’s rebel groups, told reporters that a representative from the AL, as well as a representative from Libya would attend the talks, scheduled for August 23 in Abuja, Nigeria.

The AL promised during its extraordinary meeting a week ago to help Sudan tackle the worsening security and humanitarian situation in Darfur, where over 50,000 have been killed and a million and a half displaced since the conflict erupted last year.

Talks in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, aimed at bringing an end to the 18-month conflict in Darfur, reached impasse in July.

Al-Khalifa said the African Union had demanded that Darfur rebels send a high-level delegation in order to reach a final settlement to the conflict.