THE South African government is to play an active role in efforts to end the war in Sudan, Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced on Thursday after meeting in Pretoria with her Sudanese counterpart, Mustafa Osman Ismail. “South Africa is very keen to see Sudan get to normality” after 18 years of war between rebels in the mainly animist and Christian south against successive Arab and Muslim northern governments, she said. The possibility of South African companies exploring for oil in Sudan was not discussed, Dlamini-Zuma said. Kevin Stallbom, the acting chief executive of South African oil exploration parastatal Soekor, earlier denied the company was interested in oil exploration in Sudan, saying Egypt and Gabon had been targeted for such operations. He admitted Soekor officials had visited Sudan in the past to investigate possible investments there but the war was detrimental for any prospects. -AFP