Egypt follows up peace talks on Sudan’s Darfur: FM
CAIRO, Aug 27, 2004 (Xinhua) — Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said on Friday that Egypt has closely followed up the ongoing Darfur peace talks in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.
Speaking to reporters, Abul Gheit said he assigned the Egyptian Embassy to Nigeria to report on the negotiations and consultation with parties concerned.
He said Egypt has paid attention to the situation in neighboring Sudan, which is of strategic importance to Egypt.
The top Egyptian diplomat said that the humanitarian situation in Darfur has improved, adding the UN Security Council would extend its one-month deadline to Khartoum.
Hopes of an early resolution of the Darfur crisis have been dashed in the first three days of the talks started on Monday when the rebel groups and the Sudanese government were in dispute over the issue of the cantonment of the rebel forces, which is a possible precursor to disarmament.
But a sign of progress was seen Wednesday as Khartoum accepted the deployment of more African Union troops, to help cantonment of the rebel forces besides protection of ceasefire monitors.
The rebel groups have also agreed to temporarily lay aside their objection to the cantonment issue on the agenda, but still refused to lay down their arms until a political solution to the conflict has been found.