Five party summit in Egypt soon to discuss Sudan’s Darfur crisis : FM

CAIRO, Mar 5, 2005 (KUNA) — Libya, Chad, Sudan, Nigeria and Egypt are scheduled to hold a summit in this country during the coming few days to discuss Darfur crisis, visiting Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail said here Saturday after a meeting with Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Musa.

A displaced Sudanese girl sits inside a temporary shelter at Sreef camp near Nyala in south Darfur, October 8 , 2004.

Ismail told reporters that he held talks with Egyptian officials over the summit, indicating that Cairo will contact concerned parties on the issue.

He said the African Union is able to solve the problem of Darfur, rejecting any international interference in this regard.

He also hoped that the last round of negotiations between Khartoum and the rebels of Darfur will take place in Nigeria during the month, adding that a delegation from the African Union is currently visiting Khartoum to prepare for the negotiations.

On trying Sudanese officials in charge of crimes in Darfur, Ismail said the Sudanese Government is “with trying any individual who commits human rights’ violations.” For his part, Musa said that Sudan’s issue is among the Arab League’s priorities, underlining that the league had been participating in the negotiations of Nigeria since August 2004.

He also noted that the league takes part in all committees formed by the African Union to follow up on the issue of Darfur.

He underlined that the union is cooperating with the league on the question, indicating that the cooperation led to a one Arab-African stance on Darfur.

The Sudanese western region of Darfur has been witnessing an armed conflict since February 2003 between the Sudanese government and rebels of the region.

The clashes led to the death of 70,000 people, as two million became homeless. — In Khartoum, Deputy Foreign Minister Najeeb al Khair Abdelwahab called on the international community to not obstruct the peace process in the country by imposing new sanctions on Sudan because of Darfur.

Abdelwahab told reporters that the Security Council is still divided regarding the wisdom of imposing sanctions on Khartoum at this time.

He said that the government has conducted “productive consultations” with a US delegation that visited the country last week.

The Security Council is studying a proposal tabled by Washington last month calling for the imposition of a travel ban on officials in charge of violence in Darfur, in addition to freezing their deposits.

Abdelwahab said mediators of the African Union are currently consulting with concerned parties to determine the date of the new negotiations round in Nigeria.

The last round of negotiations between the government and rebels had taken place in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, last December.

The talks failed as a result of mutual accusations of violating the cease fire.