Gabon may attend Egyptian-hosted summit on Darfur crisis

CAIRO, Apr 6, 2005 (Xinhua) — Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said Wednesday that Gabonese President Omar Bongo may attend a mini-African summit on Sudan’s Darfur crisis to be held in Egypt later this Month, Egypt’s official MENA news agency reported.

Egyptian officials said Sunday that Egypt will host the summit on April 20 at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, which will involve leaders from Chad, Egypt, Libya, Nigeria and Sudan.

“The summit will now most probably be joined by a sixth party, the Gabonese president,” Abul Gheit told reporters Wednesday after a meeting between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and visiting Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Othman Ismail.

“This means the meeting will be attended by Chad, Egypt, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria and Sudan,” he said.

Contacts are underway to set the agenda for the six-nation talks, added the Egyptian top diplomat.