An African Union summit began on Monday with controversy surrounding Sudan's bid to chair the summit despite criticism of ongoing violence in Darfur. Despite calls from rights organizations and Western governments to deny Sudan the chairmanship due to abuses in Darfur, Sudan remains determined to assume the position promised a year ago. Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol believes that responsible AU leaders will not be swayed by pressure from external groups, stating that they are beyond influence. The chairmanship was initially promised to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir a year ago but was withheld due to the violence in Darfur, which has resulted in an estimated 200,000 deaths and displaced 2.5 million people. Critics argue that instead of decreasing, the violence in the last year has actually intensified, with government-supported Arab militias causing the deaths of thousands. Bashir has consistently obstructed the deployment of UN peacekeepers to support the African Union military mission, which currently consists of 7,000 soldiers and monitors. During the summit, the AU's top diplomat, Alpha Oumar Konare, accused Sudan of targeting Darfur civilians. He urged the Sudanese government to halt its attacks on Darfur and work towards restoring peace. Amnesty International warned that if the AU elected Bashir as chairman while human rights violations persisted in Darfur, it would damage the organization's credibility. Chad has threatened to leave the African Union if Sudan's President Bashir is elected as chair, due to strained relations following the Darfur conflict. However, Egypt believes Sudan should be given the chair unless the summit decides otherwise, while Nigeria is optimistic about finding a solution to the issue. The decision has not yet been finalized. Diplomats are working to support Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete as an alternative to Bashir. Western governments are advocating for Kikwete. British Africa minister David Triesman expressed the importance of the African Union's success in international relations and diplomacy, urging them to carefully consider their decisions. A committee of seven "wise men", including Obasanjo, will be discussing the Sudan issue on Monday and presenting recommendations to the full summit, according to delegates. The meeting in Addis Ababa will also address other issues such as raising a peacekeeping force for Somalia, unrest in Guinea, climate change, and the AU military mission in Darfur, but Sudan is expected to dominate the debate. AU governments are increasingly opposing Sudan, with one delegate noting that it is unreasonable to expect a country dealing with internal conflict to address all the issues on the continent. African leaders are considering this perspective and are working towards finding a solution.