The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Sirte

The U.N. secretary-general urged Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi on Saturday to play a leadership role in bringing all of Darfur's rebel groups to a new round of peace talks with the Sudanese government

Ban Ki-moon met with Gadhafi in his hometown of Sirte two days after the U.N. chief and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir announced the talks would be held in Libya starting Oct 27.

"I asked him and urged him to demonstrate all possible leadership and initiative and influence to bring all representatives of the movements" to the peace table, Ban told journalists. "And he said he would do all (he could) to bring them all to the negotiating table."

Libya, which borders Sudan, has a history of destabilizing its neighbors by supporting rebel groups. But in recent years, it has tried to improve its international image. As a member of both the Arab League and the African Union, Libya could be a bridge between Arabs and ethnic Africans fighting in Darfur.

Ban said he was "confident" Gadhafi could play a leadership role in Darfur's peace process. The Libyan leader did not speak to reporters, and Ban said it was not the right time to provide details on the specific actions he was contemplating.

Ban, who has made Darfur a top priority since taking the reins of the U.N. on Jan. 1, said he told Gadhafi the upcoming negotiations should produce a final setlement

The Libyan leader "expressed his support that we need to work to make this a final phase - and a final setlement of this issue," the secretary-general said.