Sudan defies embargo, hosts African conference on refugees

Khartoum is getting ready to host an African conference concerning refugees on the coming Sunday, defying the air embargo by convening international meetings in Sudan.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Othman Ismael said that convening the conference is considered a violation to resolution N 1054 issued by the Security Council which, "Calls upon all international and regional organizations not to convene any conference in Sudan."

The Sudanese People's Liberation Army in southern Sudan criticized Khartoum's hosting of the conference.

In a statement, the SPLA said that, "The Sudanese regime which forced nearly a third of the Sudanese people to resort to other countries, cannot participate in solving the refugees' problems."