Sudan asked to drop bid to lead AU

KHARTOUM – Five African leaders have asked Sudan to withdraw its bid to head the African Union because, if named, it could sink the Darfur peace talks and dent the group’s credibility, an AU official said yesterday.

Sudan has nominated itself to chair the 53-member AU, based on a tradition that the host becomes the next head. Sudan, which is under fire for rights abuses, wants to take over from Nigeria at the two-day summit which opened in Khartoum yesterday.But Khartoum’s bid has provoked criticism from rights groups which say a Sudanese presidency would damage AU efforts to improve the continent’s record on democracy and human rights, and is opposed by several African regional blocs.An AU official told Reuters that five heads of state had met Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Sunday and told him “there was a consensus that he should withdraw” and Bashir had said he would respond after consulting his neighbours.The official said the five nations included Nigeria, whose President Olusegun Obasanjo has led the AU for two years.”It is looking like the compromise is for Obasanjo to stay because then Bashir will save some face,” the official said.A group of leaders met before the summit opened yesterday to thrash out a deal that could involve Nigeria staying or an alternative central African candidate, possibly Congo Republic, taking the chair, but officials said no agreement was reached and talks would continue after the opening session.A senior West African government official said: “There is no way that Sudan will take the chair.It is far too complicated.”An AU force of 7 000 troops is monitoring a tentative truce between the government and rebels in Darfur in western Sudan, and critics, including the United States, say it would be inappropriate for Sudan to head the group leading that force.Darfur rebels have said they would walk out of AU-sponsored peace talks in Nigeria if Sudan becomes head.Sudan has said it has the backing of North and East Africa, but diplomats say southern, western and central Africa have been trying to encourage Sudan to withdraw its nomination.- Nampa-ReutersSudan, which is under fire for rights abuses, wants to take over from Nigeria at the two-day summit which opened in Khartoum yesterday.But Khartoum’s bid has provoked criticism from rights groups which say a Sudanese presidency would damage AU efforts to improve the continent’s record on democracy and human rights, and is opposed by several African regional blocs.An AU official told Reuters that five heads of state had met Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Sunday and told him “there was a consensus that he should withdraw” and Bashir had said he would respond after consulting his neighbours.The official said the five nations included Nigeria, whose President Olusegun Obasanjo has led the AU for two years.”It is looking like the compromise is for Obasanjo to stay because then Bashir will save some face,” the official said.A group of leaders met before the summit opened yesterday to thrash out a deal that could involve Nigeria staying or an alternative central African candidate, possibly Congo Republic, taking the chair, but officials said no agreement was reached and talks would continue after the opening session.A senior West African government official said: “There is no way that Sudan will take the chair.It is far too complicated.”An AU force of 7 000 troops is monitoring a tentative truce between the government and rebels in Darfur in western Sudan, and critics, including the United States, say it would be inappropriate for Sudan to head the group leading that force.Darfur rebels have said they would walk out of AU-sponsored peace talks in Nigeria if Sudan becomes head.Sudan has said it has the backing of North and East Africa, but diplomats say southern, western and central Africa have been trying to encourage Sudan to withdraw its nomination.- Nampa-Reuters