Sudan's ambassador: Five-way summit paves way to Darfur crisis settlement

Sudan's Ambassador to Egypt Ahmed Abdel Halim yesterday said that the five-way African summit is a sincere Afro-Arab effort that aims at reaching a just solution for Darfur crisis so as to protect Sudan's stability and preserve its unity.

He said that the summit's final declaration was very clear in asserting the importance of boosting all African Union efforts to resolve Darfur crisis within an African framework and away from any foreign interference.

The level of representation at this summit gave it a special importance and mirrored the keenness and perseverance of the African leaders, he said.

He said that authorizing Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to make all contacts necessary to push forward the Darfur peace march was one of the positive results of the summit.

The Ambassador spoke about the visit due to be paid to Cairo Thursday by Sudanese Minister of Federal Rule Nafea Ali Nafea who is to lead the Sudanese government's side to a second round of talks with the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The talks, hosted by Egypt, are to start Thursday evening.

Khartoum is determined to make this round a success, he said welcoming the positive signs shown by both sides so far.

The closing session of this round is expected to be attended by Sudanese First Vice-President Ali Othman Taha and NDA leader Othman Al-Mirghani.

The first round of the talks between the government and the Sudanese opposition umbrella was sponsored by Egypt in Cairo in August. Observers hailed it for it led to an agreement on the start of direct talks to pave the way for reaching comprehensive peaceful settlement in Sudan.