An African Homeland for the Palestinians?

THANKS TO A HUGE INFUSION OF MONEY AND ARMAMENTS FROM friendly Islamic nations like Iran and Libya, the fundamentalist government of SUDAN seems to be on the verge of winning its 10-year civil war against the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army. But there may be more than simple Muslim solidarity behind the aid to the continent’s largest country. According to African-based diplomats, the Arab states think the southern region of Sudan, now held by the rebels, could serve as a possible homeland for the Palestinian diaspora. Observers note that Yasser Arafat was returning to Libya from a meeting with Sudanese leaders when his plane crashed in a sandstorm two weeks ago, nearly costing the P.L.O. chairman his life.