Annan met with AU, EU on Darfur - Seeks to speak to Sudan's president over ban on UN aid chief's trip to Darfur

Secretary-General Kofi Annan is seeking to speak to Sudanese President al-Bashir after his Government banned a visit by Jan Egeland, the top UN relief official to Darfur UN News reported 4 April 2006.

Note, UN News says Mr Annan held separate talks in New York March 31 with top African and European officials on the situation in Darfur. In a meeting with the Chairman of the AU Commission, the two discussed the Darfur peace talks. They also discussed support for the AU force in Darfur, including the possibility of a donors' conference, and the situation on Chad-Sudan border and steps being taken to defuse the tension there.

Darfur was also on the agenda at a separate meeting between Mr Annan and European Common Foreign and Security Policy High Representative Javier Solana. They reviewed European Union support for the AU force in Darfur.