AU leaders meet for special summit on regional conflicts

CAIRO, Aug. 31 -- Heads of state and government of the53-nation African Union (AU) kicked off a special summit in Libya on Monday to tackle regional conflicts, especially situations in Somalia, Sudan's Darfur and the Great Lakes region.

More than 30 African leaders attended the special summit, which is held on the eve of celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the Libyan Revolution, which brought Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi to power after overthrowing Western-backed King Idriss on Sept. 1, 1969.

An AU panel headed by former president of South Africa Thabo Mbeki will submit a report on the Darfur crisis to the summit.

Besides the continent's three major conflict hotspots, Somalia, Darfur and the Great Lakes region, the role of AU member states and other regional organizations in peacekeeping and reconstruction in conflict areas will also be put into consideration during the meeting.

It would be AU's third summit this year. The 53-member organization normally holds two summits a year.

At its 13th summit held in Libya's Sirte city in July, the AU accepted its current chairman Ghaddafi's proposal to hold a special session on the consideration and resolution of conflicts in Africa.

The AU, established in 2002 to replace the Organization of African Unity that was founded in 1963, aims at preserving and promoting peace and stability in the African continent, carrying out the strategy of reform and poverty reduction and realizing the development and renewal of Africa. ¡¡