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Sudan asks Gaddafi to intervene in Darfur crisis
Sudan asked Libyan leader Muammer Gaddafi on Tuesday to "intervene personally" in the escalating crisis in Darfur, Libya's official Jana news agency said. However, a political observer expressed dismay over the development. "How can they seek help from a leader who has himself created a mess in his country?" he asked. Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail delivered the request from President Omar Hassan El Beshir at a meeting with Gaddafi in the central town of Sirte. "President Beshir is pleased with Colonel Gaddafi's opposition to foreign intervention in Darfur and asks him to help settle the crisis in the region and assist in the repatriation of refugees," Ismail said. African Union-sponsored peace talks between the Sudanese government and the Darfur rebels are expected to take place in Nigeria next Monday. But last week, Libya hosted informal talks in Sirte which brought together Khartoum and the two Darfur rebel movements as well as representatives of the African Union and neighbouring Chad, which hosts the lion's share of Darfur refugees. At the time, a Chadian official expressed concern that Libya might be trying to seize a bigger role in the peace process. "We are afraid it will be taken over by Gaddafi at the expense of the African Union," the diplomat said. Libyan has strongly opposed foreign intervention in Darfur warning last week that it could spark another Iraq-style conflict. Posted by: Fred 2004-08-19 |
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