The United Nations Security Council departs today for meetings in Nairobi aimed at securing a peace agreement for the troubled Sudanese region of Darfur, the current council president said. "I think it's so close," said John Danforth, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. "We're expecting a peace agreement in short order." The current Security Council president added that it was a very important meeting that would hopefully bring an end to the crisis in Darfur. The Security Council, along with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, plans to have public and private meetings on Sudan in Nairobi on Thursday. Talks with the African Union, members of the Sudanese government, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Abu Gheit are also scheduled. The draft resolution on Sudan will be discussed in closed consultations later that day, with a council vote Friday. The Security Council also plans to meet with a number of African officials to discuss regional matters on the two-day trip, including the situation in Somalia and the United Nation's working relationship with the African Union.
