An Arab League (AL) official Monday termed China's role on the Darfur issue as transparent and honest to achieve a solution to the crisis in the war-torn western Sudanese region.
In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Samir Hosni, director of Afro-Arab cooperation department of the Cairo-based pan-Arab body and the official in charge of the Darfur issue, noted that China provided support to Sudan politically and economically and the AL values China's role on resolving the Darfur crisis.
Hosni noted that the ties between China and Sudan does not emanate from the Darfur issue, but dates back to many years as the two countries established the diplomatic relationship in 1959.
"China's policy in Sudan is to provide essential support to the Sudanese people," the AL official added.
In order to help Darfur to achieve peace, stability and development, "China played a key role in helping reach a consensus on the deployment of the hybrid peacekeeping forces in Darfur," Hosni noted.
China participated in the consultations with the international community, which led to the Sudanese government's agreement to the deployment of 26,000 UN-AU (African Union) hybrid force in Darfur, he added.
On the current situation in Darfur, the AL official urged Chad and Sudan to resort to dialog in order to resolve the conflicts in the region, which is witnessing years of instability.
"The deployment of the hybrid force will take some time because international communities should meet their pledges to Darfur and provide the fund for the deployment of the force," he added.
The UN Security Council in July 2007 authorized the deployment a UN-AU hybrid force in Darfur, which would comprise 20,000 troops and more than 6,000 police and civilian staff.
Until now, there are only some 9,000 uniformed personnel on the ground, including 7,000 troops and 1,200 police who had been serving with the AU force.
Referring to international efforts to continue the negotiation process between the Sudanese government and the rebel groups to reach a peace accord ending the Darfur crisis, Hosni expressed the AL's keenness to exert efforts to push the negotiations forward and help fulfill Arab countries' pledges to improve the humanitarian situation in Darfur.
Since 2003, the conflict between the Sudanese government and rebels in Darfur has left thousands of people dead and a lot more homeless.