Canadian Prime Minister visits Sudan for Darfur talks

KHARTOUM, Nov 25 (AFP) — Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin arrived in Khartoum for talks with President Omar al-Beshir and Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail on the prospect of peace in the country, officials said.

Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin arrived in Khartoum Thursday Nov 25, 2004, for talks with President Omar al-Beshir and Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail on the prospect of peace in the country, officials said. (AFP).

Martin and Beshir discussed ongoing negotiations aimed at ending over 20 years of civil war in the south of the country as well as the conflict in Sudan’s strife-torn western Darfur region, Ismail said.

The visit comes as officials from Khartoum and the main southern rebel movement are due to resume talks in Kenya on Friday amid rebel doubts over Khartoum’s commitment to sign a comprehensive accord by the end of the year.

The UN Security Council last week moved to Nairobi and extracted a written promise from the government and the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army to sign the deal ending 21 years of war by December 31.

In talks with Martin, Beshir stressed his willingness to sign the deal ahead of the dealine saying he was committed to getting humanitarian aid to the needy in Darfur and restoring normalcy to the region, Ismail added.

More than 70,000 people have been killed or have died from hunger and disease in Darfur, according to the United Nations, which calls the 21-month conflict the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

Canada’s special envoy to Sudan, Mobina Jaffer, also said Beshir appeared optimistic that a peace deal with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army would be signed before the deadline.

At least 1.5 million people have been killed in the war in the south of the country and over four million displaced.

Jaffer said Martin visited an internally displaced camp in Mayo outside Khartoum before his departure.

Canadian officials said Martin’s visit to Sudan was planned at the behest of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, both of who have visited Darfur in recent months.