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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| African snub to Sudan over Darfur | African snub to Sudan over Darfur |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has again been bypassed in his bid to become chairman of the African Union because of the conflict in Darfur. | Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has again been bypassed in his bid to become chairman of the African Union because of the conflict in Darfur. |
| Mr Bashir had been due to take on the role but it has instead been given to Ghana's President John Kufuor. | |
| Chad had threatened to leave the AU if Mr Bashir became its leader, while Amnesty International warned that the body's credibility would be damaged. | Chad had threatened to leave the AU if Mr Bashir became its leader, while Amnesty International warned that the body's credibility would be damaged. |
| Sudan's government is accused of backing brutal militias in Darfur. | Sudan's government is accused of backing brutal militias in Darfur. |
| Mr Bashir has repeatedly denied backing the Janjaweed militias and says the problems in Darfur have been exaggerated. | Mr Bashir has repeatedly denied backing the Janjaweed militias and says the problems in Darfur have been exaggerated. |
| Some 200,000 people have died and more than two million have fled their homes since the start of the four-year conflict. | Some 200,000 people have died and more than two million have fled their homes since the start of the four-year conflict. |
| International pressure | International pressure |
| AU commission head Alpha Oumar Konare said Sudan had supported the decision to let Ghana head the continental body. | AU commission head Alpha Oumar Konare said Sudan had supported the decision to let Ghana head the continental body. |
| "By consensus it is President Kufuor," he said. | "By consensus it is President Kufuor," he said. |
| AU to tackle tough agenda Profile: African Union Mr Bashir was originally due to become AU leader in 2006 but this was postponed by a year. | |
| The BBC's Amber Henshaw at the AU summit in Addis Ababa says there has been enormous pressure from other African countries, the international community, aid agencies and lobby groups against Mr Bashir. | |
| One of the Darfur rebel groups had said AU peacekeepers would be treated as enemies if Sudan led the continental body. | |
| UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is to meet Mr Bashir shortly to discuss the peacekeeping force in Darfur. | UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is to meet Mr Bashir shortly to discuss the peacekeeping force in Darfur. |
| Mr Bashir has opposed moves for the UN to take over the peacekeeping force from the AU. | Mr Bashir has opposed moves for the UN to take over the peacekeeping force from the AU. |
| He has agreed to it being beefed up, but questions such as the size of the force and who would lead it have not yet been settled. | He has agreed to it being beefed up, but questions such as the size of the force and who would lead it have not yet been settled. |
| 'Scorched-earth' | 'Scorched-earth' |
| Addressing African leaders at the summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, Mr Ban called for the force to be deployed urgently. | Addressing African leaders at the summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, Mr Ban called for the force to be deployed urgently. |
| "Together we must work to end the violence and scorched-earth policies adopted by various parties, including militias, as well as the bombings which are still a terrifying feature of life in Darfur," he said. | "Together we must work to end the violence and scorched-earth policies adopted by various parties, including militias, as well as the bombings which are still a terrifying feature of life in Darfur," he said. |
| The UN chief says he will seek "a firm commitment to action" in talks with Mr Bashir. The UN wants to deploy 22,000 soldiers. | The UN chief says he will seek "a firm commitment to action" in talks with Mr Bashir. The UN wants to deploy 22,000 soldiers. |
| The UN chief also called on the Darfur rebel groups who had not signed a peace deal with the Sudanese government to do so. | The UN chief also called on the Darfur rebel groups who had not signed a peace deal with the Sudanese government to do so. |
| Instability in Somalia is also a prominent issue at the summit. Ethiopia itself played a major role in ousting the Islamist forces that had taken control of much of southern Somalia and supports the interim government. | Instability in Somalia is also a prominent issue at the summit. Ethiopia itself played a major role in ousting the Islamist forces that had taken control of much of southern Somalia and supports the interim government. |
| Ethiopia has begun cutting its force levels in Somalia, making a proposed AU peacekeeping force for Somalia an even more pressing issue, correspondents say. | Ethiopia has begun cutting its force levels in Somalia, making a proposed AU peacekeeping force for Somalia an even more pressing issue, correspondents say. |
| Officially, the AU agenda was to have been headed by climate change and scientific development, but BBC East Africa correspondent Adam Mynott says it is the other matters which are concentrating minds. | Officially, the AU agenda was to have been headed by climate change and scientific development, but BBC East Africa correspondent Adam Mynott says it is the other matters which are concentrating minds. |