Sudan quits AU chair because of Darfur issue

Sudan gave up the leadership of the African Union (AU) because of the conflicts in its Darfur region yesterday as the pan-African group awarded the rotating chairmanship to Ghana.

Alpha Oumar Konare, the AU's top diplomat, told reporters Ghanaian President John Kufuor would become chairman. "By consensus it is President Kufuor."

He said Sudan had supported the decision, which avoided a damaging dispute eclipsing issues on the summit agenda including raising peacekeeping troops for Somalia.