KHARTOUM, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's former President Thabo Mbeki denied on Wednesday that he was pressing the Sudanese government to accept recommendations on the creation of "hybrid courts" as proposed by the African Union (AU).

"We should remember that these proposals, endorsed by the AU, are matters that are still going to be negotiated by the Sudanese themselves," said Mbeki at a press conference following talks with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

An AU panel on the Darfur conflict led by Mbeki has submitted a report proposing the establishment of hybrid courts which consist of both Sudanese and foreign judges to try crimes committed in the western Sudanese region of Darfur.

"So when in the negotiating process, all of the parties negotiating peace in Darfur must consider these proposals," he said.

Mbeki refuted that the proposal on setting up hybrid courts to achieve justice in Darfur violated Sudan's sovereignty.

One of the points in the mandate of the panel was to present proposals on how to achieve justice and the panel has discussed the matter with all the parties, he said.

Mbeki said the AU panel would come out with a "program of action" in the wake of the talks held in Khartoum.

"We will work out a program as to what the panel could do to accelerate the Darfur peace process, implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between north and south Sudan, and preparation for the general elections and referendum on self-determination for southern Sudan," he said.

The AU panel arrived in Khartoum on Friday for talks with Sudanese officials to know Khartoum's view points regarding implementation of the report on hybrid courts. It was endorsed by the AU Peace and Security Council summit in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Oct. 29.