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WASHINGTON : President George W. Bush's special envoy to Sudan, Andrew Natsios, will visit Beijing next week seeking China's influence on Sudan to stop the bloodshed in Darfur, the State Department has said.
Natsios, the department said in a brief statement, "will consult with senior Chinese officials and encourage them to exercise their considerable influence on Sudan to achieve peace in Darfur.
"China demonstrated its support in the achievement of the November 16 Addis Agreement. China's continued engagement in Sudan is important to ensure full implementation of the Addis Agreement, including the three-phase peacekeeping package," the statement added.
With US and European companies steering clear of Sudan due to economic insecurity and a US embargo, Khartum 10 years ago turned to Asia for trading partners. Sudan currently produces around 500,000 barrels of oil a day, most of which are exported to China, its main commercial partner.
The announcement of Natsios's January 8-12 visit came hours after the State Department condemned the Sudanese government for bombing rebel positions in the Darfur region in violation of a ceasefire agreement.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Washington was also "deeply concerned" by rebel militia attacks on humanitarian workers in Darfur and called on both sides in the four-year-old conflict to halt the violence.
The latest unrest came as efforts continued to deploy a robust UN-led peacekeeping force to Darfur, where at least 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million been left homeless by fighting between ethnic African rebels and forces loyal to the Arab-led government in Khartoum.
Separately, UN interim special representative for Sudan, Jan Eliasson, announced he would leave for African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa later Friday to find a solution to the bloodshed in Darfur. - AFP /dt
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