African turmoil casts pall over summit

African leaders huddled here Monday to tackle festering conflicts in Sudan and Somalia at a summit overshadowed by Egypt's popular uprising and the leadership crisis in Ivory Coast.

While Sudan stands on the brink of splitting and Somalia nears collapse, the African Union (AU) summit, which opened here Sunday, has been forced to address the popular uprising against President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, the unrest in Tunisia and the political stalemate in Ivory Coast.

But UN chief Ban Ki-moon, who chaired onday's meeting, reminded African leaders of the urgency of issues confronting Sudan, following a landmark referendum in which the south chose to secede, and lawless Somalia, still struggling for effective government.

On Sudan, Ban said all parties "should engage immediately to address all the post-referendum issues," citing border demarcation between the north and south as well as issues of citizenship, security and the sharing of wealth.

South Sudan leader Salva Kiir told the gathering that they were waiting for the world community to aknowledge the outcome of the January 9-15 referendum which showed overwhelming support for secession from the north.

"We expect this outcome to be confirmed by members of the international community, begining with those present in this august assembly," Kiir told the gathering.

Full preliminary results released Sunday showed that close to 99 percent of south Sudanese voters chose independence.

US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson lauded the conduct of the referendum.

"The referendum went extraordinarily well, but much work needs to be done in resolving key post-referendum issues," Carson told AFP.

"If the goodwill that prevailed during the referendum is carried over we will see positive things occurring."

Carson declined to say whether the major outstanding issues needed to be resolved before July, when south Sudanese leaders hope to proclaim a new state.

"We think it is important that these issues be dealt with, but we think it's up to the parties to keep the momentum moving forward in a positive way," he said.

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, his deputy Kiir, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and African Union Commission chief Jean Ping attended Monday's meeting.

Also in attendance were South African President Jacob Zuma and officials from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a six-member east African regional grouping.

Ban insisted however that the 20-year-old conflict in Somalia had not been overshadowed by the latest crises in Egypt, Ivory Coast and Tunisia.

"I have been discussing this matter, very, very hard, all the time. It has not been overshadowed," he said. "The Somali people have been suffering from political instability for almost the last 20 years."

Earlier this month the UN special envoy for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga of Tanazania, said the mandate of the Western-backed Somali government must come to an end in August in line with its constitution.

Mahiga suggested a political arrangement between key leaders after that date.

Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, now headed by President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, has been unable to exert authority across the war-ravaged country since its formation in neighbouring Kenya in 2004.

Over the past three years, Al Qaeda-inspired militants have waged a deadly insurgency to topple the government and have sharply reduced its control of Mogadishu where it survives under the protection of AU forces.