Egypt's FM calls for dialogue between Khartoum, int'l community on Darfur issue

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit Wednesday called for a dialogue between the Sudanese government and the international community on the deployment of UN forces in Sudan's western region of Darfur, the official news agency MENA reported.

Abul Gheit made the remarks during a meeting with visiting Norwegian State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Raymond Johansen.

Dialogue should be held between both sides with a view to finding a solution, which would allow the transfer of the African Union (AU) mission to an international force in a way that wouldn' t harm Sudan's sovereignty while maintaining the African identity of the new peacekeeping force, said Abul Gheit.

Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alaa al-Hadidi said the Egyptian-Norwegian talks welcomed a peace agreement that was reached recently between the Khartoum government and eastern rebels in the Eritrean capital Asmara.

The Sudanese government and eastern rebels Eastern Front signed a peace agreement in Asmara on Oct. 14, which was the third such one signed between Khartoum and rebel groups in various parts of the country in less than two years.

Also on Wednesday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak held phone talks with U.S. President George W. Bush over the Darfur issue, according to MENA.

A presidential source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that Bush told Mubarak in their talks that the U.S. is going to exert more pressure on the Sudanese government over the Darfur issue.

Mubarak, however, said the issue should be solved through dialogue between Sudan and the international community, according to the source.

The UN Security Council adopted resolution 1706 on Aug. 31 calling for the deployment of more than 20,000 international peacekeepers to replace the 7,800 AU forces in Darfur.

But the Sudanese government has rejected the mission transfer, saying it was a violation of Sudan's sovereignty and an effort by the West to re-colonize the African oil producing country.

Egypt has been firmly supporting Sudan's stance on the deployment of UN forces, insisting any deployment should first get approval from the Sudanese government.

Source: Xinhua