Sudan's Bashir + Eritrean president + UN & AU envoys to meet Darfur rebels in Libya

Right on, Col Gaddafi! I hope this news report from Khartoum is true.

Copy of Kuna report Feb 19 2007:

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir will leave here for Libya on Tuesday morning to meet Darfur rebels, who failed to sign Abuja peace deal.

Negotiations between the Sudanese government and Darfur rebels are to be held under the sponsorship of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and to be attended by Eritrean President Isaias Afworki and UN and African Union envoys for Sudan's Darfur, the Sudan News Agency reported.

The agency quoted the Sudanese president's advisor Ali Masar as saying that the meeting would be a springboard for a fresh stage of dialogue between the Sudanese government and rebel movements in the troubled region of Darfur, which would be held in the Eritrean capital of Asmara later.

In May 2006, a peace deal was signed between the Sudanese government and main rebel movements under the patronage of the African Union. Other smaller rebel movements joined the peace deal.

But, another two rebel factions declined to ink the agreement, which, they claimed, failed to meet their expectations and demands for which they took up arms in face of the Sudanese government.

The Sudanese president has recently voiced his government's total willingness to negotiate with Darfur rebel movements which were reluctant to sign the peace deal, in a bid to put an end to the four-year armed conflict between the government and rebels, which has now left over two million people dead or homeless.

UPDATE:

Feb 21 2007 Sudan Tribune report - Darfur rebels say not concerned by Tripoli tripartite meeting

Feb 21 2007 Reuters report - AU says Janjaweed massing north of el-Geneina, Darfur