Pope, Sudanese president meet, express hope for peace in Darfur

Published: 2007-09-14

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) -- A meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir ended with hopes that upcoming peace talks for Darfur would "put an end to the suffering and insecurity" in that region, said the Vatican. In a statement following the pope's Sept. 14 meeting with al-Bashir, the Vatican said expectations were high that peace talks between the Sudanese government and the Darfur region's rebel leaders in Libya Oct. 27 would guarantee that humanitarian assistance would get to those in need and would lead to the start of rebuilding and development in the region. The Vatican said, "The call for new negotiations was commented on very positively" during meetings with Vatican officials. Before his papal audience and after meeting with Italian Prime Minster Romano Prodi, al-Bashir told reporters in Rome that "we are prepared for a cease-fire for the start of negotiations in order to create a positive climate conducive to a positive end to the negotiations."

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