Photo: Nigerian President Musa Yar'Adua (R) speaks with African Union Commission President Jean Ping during an African Union summit in Abuja, 29 October 2009. The AU Panel of the Wise led by former S. Africa's President Thabo Mbeki was established by the current President of the African Union Muammar Gaddafi a few years ago with the main purpose to solve conflicts within Africa.

African leaders on Thursday gathered in Abuja, Nigeria and combed through proposals on how to resolve a six-year conflict in Sudan's western Darfur region.

Heads of states who sit on the African Union Peace and Security Council were studying recommendations drawn up by a seven-member high-level AU panel of the "wise" led by South Africa's former president Thabo Mbeki.

The high-level panel of the wise African leaders was established by the current President of the African Union Muammar Gaddafi a few years ago.

The team, which was asked critically to examine the situation in Darfur, has recommended the creation of a hybrid court comprising Sudanese and foreign judges to try those suspected of committing crimes against humanity.

It also suggests that a truth and reconciliation commission be established and consider reparation for losses incurred during the ongoing conflict.

The conflict started in February 2003 as a typical tribal conflict similar to those minor conflicts that occur in African and Middle Eastern societies. However, western and Israeli intervention in it has prolonged the plight of these Sudanese people.

The AU peace council is an important undertaking on the part of African leaders as to solve the problem and not allow any more Western imperialists to exploit such conflict.

In an address to the leaders Mbeki said, "We believe the time to act is now."

"Exceptional measures must be put in place to assure the people of Darfur that justice will be done, taking into account the objective reality that a number of them have little confidence in the independence and impartiality of their national criminal justice system," he added.

Mbeki said "vital steps" should be taken to ensure the participation of Darfurians in April 2010 elections.

"We will look at this report with an open mind and seriously," Sudan's Second Vice-President Ali Osman Taha told African leaders. "I reaffirm the availability of the Sudanese government to work positively with the AU and the panel of the wise."

"We go along with the deep vision contained in the report about elections being held all over Sudan, especially Darfur," Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha told the meeting in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

"Recommendations that need further dialogue include the establishment of a new justice mechanism. That needs closer scrutiny if it is in line with the constitution," he said.

He said such hybrid tribunals would "set a precedent" for other problems in Africa and said there needed to be further dialogue on whether there were better alternatives for Darfur.

AU Commission president Jean Ping called on "the people of Sudan to hold their leaders accountable for the future of their country". He admitted that implementing the recommendations of the report would be "by far the hardest" part of the exercise since "Darfur is riven by mistrusts".

Alain Le Roy, the UN under secretary general for peacekeeping operations, said the proposals would help push forward efforts to end the crisis.

"We are confident the proposals made in this report will give a boost to the peace effort in Darfur," he told AFP.

Western diplomats from Britain and the US gave the report a thumbs up, calling it a "bold, serious, candid" and "comprehensive" report.

The heads of state and government, among them those from Kenya, Ethiopia, Chad, Rwanda, Gabon and Swaziland, are also expected to discuss the crises in Niger and Guinea, at the request of the regional grouping Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The AU had given Guinea's junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara until October 17 to make a written pledge not to stand in a January presidential election, as per his promise when he seized power following the death of longtime strongman Lansana Conte.