Leaders of Egypt, Chad, Nigeria and Libya met Sunday with Sudan's president to discuss ways to resolve the humanitarian crisis in his country's western Darfur region without sanctions.
| "Boy! More pate over here!" |
The "mini-summit" at a Tripoli hotel began late Sunday, after the five leaders broke their daylong fast together for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and headed into a well-guarded downtown hotel in the Libyan capital.
| "More eggs benedict, Olusegun?" |
Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi wore a crimson African robe and a funny hat headdress along with a stunning brooch that had been his mother's as he entered the meeting, which was closed to journalists.
| "We're discussing serious humanitarian issues in here. You can't come in!... Here, boy! Take this vichyssois back to the chef and tell him to warm it up. It's cold!" |
One topic reportedly was a proposal that Egypt, Libya, Nigeria and Chad create a committee to mediate between the Khartoum government and the rebels in Darfur. There was no word on progress at the meeting, which was expected to last into the morning.
"Yes, by Gum! That's what we need! A committee!"
"How many people are gonna be on it, Hosni?"
"What's the shape of the table gonna be?"
"There ain't gonna be no infidels on it, are there?" |
The spokesman for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said the summit was intended to prove that African leaders can solve their own problems — apparently a jab at efforts in the United Nations to force Sudan to end the fighting.
| I guess there's always a first time for everything. |
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