Sudanese, Eritrean leaders hold reconciliation meeting

TRIPOLI, Libya, May 17, 2005 (PANA) — Presidents Omar Hassan Al-Bashir of Sudan and Issaias Afeworki of Eritrea met in Tripoli Monday to discuss ways of improving their countries’ bilateral relations that have been frosty for several years.

The Libyan leader, Colonel Moammar Kadhafi organised the
reconciliation meeting in his capacity as guardian for peace
within the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), official sources revealed in Tripoli.

Chadian President Idriss Deby, who is in Tripoli to attend a
mini-African summit on the crisis in western Sudan’s troubled
Darfur, also attended the meeting.

Sudan and Eritrea mutually accuse each other of supporting each other’s rebel groups. Informed sources said that the rebels fighting in Darfur have opened offices in Asmara, the Eritrean capital.

According to political observers, the reconciliation between
Sudan and Eritrea could boost the chances for success of the
summit devoted to the crisis, in which Afeworki could
participate.