U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH HAS CALLED HIS SUDANESE COUNTERPART IN AN 11TH HOUR BID TO MAKE SURE THE NEGOTIATIONS ON DARFUR CONCLUDE SUCCESSFULLY, THE OFFICIAL SUDAN NEWS AGENCY REPORTED TUESDAY. BUSH CALLED PRESIDENT OMAR AL-BASHIR ON MONDAY NIGHT AND DISCUSSED «THE QUESTION OF DARFUR AND THE IMPORTANCE OF BRINGING PEACE» TO SUDAN'S WESTERN REGION, THE AGENCY REPORTED. NEGOTIATORS FOR THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT AND THE DARFUR REBELS WERE TRYING TO MEET A TUESDAY MIDNIGHT DEADLINE FOR CONCLUDING THEIR LONG-RUNNING PEACE TALKS ON THE THREE-YEAR CONFLICT. THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE TAKING PLACE IN ABUJA, THE NIGERIAN CAPITAL, WITH THE MEDIATION OF THE AFRICAN UNION. BUSH TOLD BASHIR THAT THE UNITED STATES WAS EAGER FOR THE NEGOTIATORS TO REACH A SETTLEMENT AND FOR THIS REASON DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE ROBERT ZOELLICK HAD LEFT FOR ABUJA TO HELP THE PROCESS ALONG, SUNA REPORTED. BASHIR REPLIED THAT HIS GOVERNMENT WAS ALSO KEEN TO SEE A SETTLEMENT AND HAD SENT VICE-PRESIDENT ALI OSMAN MOHAMED TAHA TO ABUJA, THE AGENCY SAID.
