Arab diplomats are expecting a low turnout of top leaders in the upcoming annual Arab League summit in Khartoum, slated to take place next Monday and Tuesday, according to the London-based Al-Quds Al-‘Arabi.
The diplomats say a low-level conference might not be able to adequately tackle the important issues on the agenda.
An Arab diplomat in London said Saudi King ‘Abdallah Bin ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz will not be taking part in the conference in order to avoid meeting Libyan President Mu’ammar Al-Qadhafi. The leaders are still trying to repair tense relations between their countries following a diplomatic row.
The diplomat said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will also not be attending the summit, and will send Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif in his place, possibly because Mubarak is concerned about lax security arrangements in Sudan.
Algerian government sources have said Algerian President ‘Abd Al-‘Aziz Bouteflika will not attend the Arab League summit, citing the president’s health situation after he was recently hospitalized with a stomach ulcer.
Diplomats are not ruling out the possibility that a large absence from the summit is due to concerns that the United States has recently been outspoken against Sudan over the continuing violence in Darfur.
Issues on the summit’s agenda will include political, social and economic developments in Iraq, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Sudan, nuclear issues and dialogue between civilizations.