Khartoum — The Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi will arrive in Khartoum next Monday for a summit with president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir and his First Vice President Salva Kiir, local media reported.
The mini-summit will tackle the challenges surrounding the South Sudan referendum slated for next January and arrangements should the country end up breaking up into two to ensure that the process runs smoothly.
Tensions are running high between North and South Sudan particularly after the end of the voter registration process. Bashir’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) said that the process was marred by violations and irregularities that need to be addressed by the referendum commission.
The Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) on the other hand accused the North of intimidating Southern voters so that they pick unity in the referendum.
There was no official confirmation of the visit by the Egyptian and Libyan leaders to Khartoum.
Relations between Sudan and Libya reached a low point after Tripoli asked Bashir to cancel his appearance at the Africa-EU summit they hosted last month.
The EU bloc had threatened to walk out if Bashir shows up as he is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and genocide he allegedly orchestrated in Darfur.
Khartoum issued an angry statement afterwards directing explicit criticism at the EU and subtle one at Libya for succumbing to European pressure.