The Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has rejected an UN offer of up to 17,000 troops to stem the continuing crisis within the country. Bashir met with the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Sunday at the 7th African Union Summit being held in the Gambian capital Banjul. In a speech to delegates from across the continent, Mr. Annan, who was born in Ghana, labeled the Darfur crisis as "one of the worst nightmares in recent history". But Mr. Bashir said he was concerned that a UN mandate would be seen as a "western invasion" that would attract militants and create a situation similar to Iraq.
The African Union summit was in Egypt.