Sudan keeps away as world powers gather for Darfur conference

SUDAN will watch from a distance today as world powers, including ally China, gather in Paris to seek ways to end the violence in Darfur at a conference Khartoum rejects as a distraction from peace efforts.

The gathering, which brings the US, China and 15 other nations together, was announced on June 7 at the G8 summit.

The African Union, which operates a peacekeeping operation in the western Sudanese region, has opted to stay out of the conference, angry at being snubbed by organisers.