KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) _ Sudan s president has launched a three-day meeting to hammer out what he calls a national vision for peace in the country s wartorn Darfur region.

Regional supporters of President Omar al-Bashir, including the African Union, the Arab League, Egypt, Libya and Qatar, are attending the conference that opened Thursday.

But Darfur rebel groups critical to any peace talks are absent.

One important rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement, said the forum was a desperate attempt for support by al-Bashir, who is facing genocide charges by the International Criminal Court.

Up to 300,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million have been chased from their homes since the fighting began in Darfur in 2003.