KHARTOUM, 29 March 2006 — Arab leaders, at an annual summit in Sudan yesterday, promoted an offer of peace with Israel in return for land and criticized threats to cut aid to the Palestinian Authority when Hamas takes office. The leaders also insisted that they be directly involved in helping to shape the future of Iraq.
Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa called on Arabs “to enter into the nuclear club and make use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.”
The summit of the 22-member Arab League is contending with complex issues involving Iraq’s future, Iran’s nuclear dispute with the West and how to deal with a Hamas-led government in the Palestinian territories.
The Arab role in Iraq led to some bitter arguments in early summit meetings, with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari harshly criticizing his counterparts for not playing a stronger role in helping rebuild his war-torn nation.
For their part, Arab governments have been irritated by plans for talks on Iraq between Iranian and US officials.
Moussa was particularly emphatic about Iraq in his address. “Any solution for the Iraqi problem cannot be reached without Arabs, and Arab participation,” he said.
In the formal opening session, at a newly built conference hall on the banks of the White Nile, the Arab leaders asked the world to help revive Middle East peace talks and respect the result of Palestinian elections won by Hamas in January.
“We call on the international community to respect the will of the Palestinian people and fulfill its responsibility to support the Palestinian government which came about through free and fair elections,” said Sudanese President Omar Bashir.
Bashir also warned that Sudan would not accept the deployment of foreign troops in Darfur. “The African Union forces are capable of accomplishing their mission in Darfur without any foreign intervention,” he said.
The UN Security Council voted Friday to speed up plans to deploy peacekeepers to replace the AU mission.
Some delegates said the leaders reached a deal to provide funding for cash-strapped African Union troops. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh told reporters that Arab leaders had also agreed to strengthen the AU force by providing troops from Arab states.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal opposed UN and international pressure on Sudan on the Darfur issue, saying it would only worsen the problem.
He said Khartoum had expressed its desire to settle the issue and the tribes of the region had reached an agreement.
“We all know how difficult it is to control this tribal conflict. We have to tackle this issue with patience and perseverance without putting any pressure on Sudan,” he added.
Prince Saud was speaking to reporters after attending the summit’s opening session.
The summit’s agenda was squeezed into one day from the originally planned two days, and some leaders left Khartoum in the evening.
