Brussels, 16/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - Javier Solana, High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, has welcomed the decision taken on 10 March by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union to extend its mission to Darfur by six months and to agree in principle on the transfer of peacekeeping operations to the UN. Khartoum reiterated its “absolute opposition” to this decision on Tuesday. On Thursday, Mr Solana had a telephone conversation with Alpha Omar Konaré, President of the AU Commission, less than a week after the high level meeting in Brussels to advance this dossier (see EUROPE 9146). The two stressed the urgency of finding a negotiated settlement between all the parties in the conflict through the Abuja peace process.