The Sudanese government said on Saturday that U.S. special envoy Andrew Natsios is very likely to come in Khartoum with a new proposal on Sudan's restive western region of Darfur.

Natsios is to arrive in Khartoum Saturday evening to kick off his second visit to the country. He will also pay visits to Darfur and southern Sudan after holding talks with Sudanese officials, including Foreign Minister Lam Akol, in the Sudanese capital, according to his schedule.

Hours before Natsios' arrival, the spokesman of the Sudanese Foreign Ministry, Ali al-Sadig, told reporters that the U.S. envoy is expected to bring a new proposal on Darfur.

"He promised during his first visit that he will bring an initiative when he returns to Sudan. We expect that," Sadig said.

As for the UN Security Council Resolution 1706, which calls for a deployment of international peacekeeping force in Darfur, the spokesman said that "the stage of Resolution 1706 has been overpassed".

Sudan has rejected the UN Security Council resolution mandating the deployment of some 20,000 international peacekeepers to replace the under-funded 7,800 AU forces in Darfur, terming it a violation of Sudan's sovereignty and an effort by the West to colonize the African oil producing country.

Source: Xinhua