KHARTOUM, Sudan, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- The African Union summit opened in Khartoum Monday absent of all of North Africa's Arab leaders except Libya's Moammar Gadhafi.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who was expected to attend the opening session, cancelled at the last minute. Diplomatic sources told United Press International security reasons were behind Mubarak's surprise decision.
Algeria's Abdel Aziz Boutefliqa and Tunisia's Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali had already informed the summit of their absence, with the former citing health reasons.
Mauritania's Brig. Gen. Ely Ould Mohamed Vall stayed away because the AU does not recognize regimes that rise to power through military coups, and Morocco had pulled out from the Union after the AU recognized the Western Saharan Republic.
The summit, which opened with the participation of 48 countries in the 53-state African Union including 24 heads of state, is held under the slogan of education and culture.
But the various conflicts plaguing the continent overshadowed the summit and remain the biggest concern for African leaders.
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo told the opening session the summit should be an opportunity to review the situation in Africa and define the role the AU is needed to fill to help find political settlements to the conflicts in the continent.
"The African Union was capable of influencing positively politics and social life in several African countries like Guinea, Ivory Coast and Congo," Obasanjo said, noting however that "efforts have been slow in ending the conflict in Darfur."
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir welcomed African efforts to solve the conflict in Darfur, stressing that "instability in any African country affects the stability of all countries."
"Only the African effort can lead to peace in Darfur and we will place our hands in those of the African Union to prove that Africans can resolve their problems within their African house," al-Bashir said.
Obasanjo also underscored the importance of boosting education and culture, saying "they constitute the core for helping the continent surmount its many problems since they are a base for identity and change."
