afrol News, 16 September - South African president Thabo Mbeki is in Khartoum, Sudan's capital for two days of talks with his Sudanese counterpart Omer Hassan Al-Bashir to unravel troubled Darfur region crisis.

President Mbeki who landed in Sudan last night, held talks with president Al-Bashir and other senior officials. The meeting is expected among others to discuss International Criminal Court decision to arrest Mr Al-Bashir on charges of genocide.

The president's visit comes as Sudanese battle to push Comprehensive Peace Agreement to reconstruct war ravaged country. Later this morning, president Mbeki will also attend a trilateral meeting with Bashir and vice president Salva Kirr to discuss crisis in Darfur where renewed fighting is reported to have erupted over the past few days.

Darfur rebel groups have accused Sudanese armed forces for launching attacks in Sudan's war torn region, a move they feel could compromise truce, saying they were fighting back against attacking government troops.

Villages have been burnt and insurgents bombed by Antonov aircraft since fighting erupted on Friday southwest of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, rebels from Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) said.

President Mbeki is one of the first outspoken African leaders to criticise ICC's move to indict president Al-Bashir despite his country's membership in The Hague based court, saying indictment would only serve to destabilise peace process in Sudan.

South African leader called on UN Security Council (UNSC) to invoke Article 16 of the Rome Statute which allows the council to suspend ICC prosecutions in any case for a period of 12 months that can be renewed indefinitely.

Libya and South Africa sought to force a suspension in UNAMID resolution but failed to get required number of votes and instead accepted a watered down paragraph taking note of AU concern on the ICC move to seek an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir.

Sudan foreign minister told Sudan official news agency SUNA that South Africa as a leading country regionally can play an active role in supporting Sudan.

According to United Nations, up to 300,000 people have died in Darfur and more than 2.2 million have fled their homes since rebels rose up against Khartoum in February 2003. Sudan however says 10,000 people have been killed.

The war began when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against Arab-dominated Khartoum regime and state-backed Arab militias, fighting for resources and power in one of the most remote and deprived places on earth.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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