Eritrea’s new ambassador to Sudan begins work

June 6, 2006 (NAIROBI) — Eritrea’s new ambassador to Khartoum met Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Tuesday, Eritrean Information Minister Ali Abdu Ahmed said, in a sign of improved relations between the east African neighbours.

Ties between the two countries have been strained since 1994 with both sides trading accusations of support for rebels on each other’s territory.

But last year, in a sign of thawed relations, they agreed to swap envoys after a peace deal which ended more than two decades of civil war between Khartoum and southern Sudanese rebels, who had enjoyed Asmara’s support.

“Issa Ahmed Issa is our new ambassador in the Republic of Sudan,” Ahmed told Reuters by telephone from the Eritrean capital Asmara.

“He presented his credentials in Khartoum at 11 o’clock (0800 GMT). He and the president discussed bilateral and regional issues,” Ahmed said, without elaborating.

He said talks between eastern Sudanese rebels and Khartoum to end a simmering insurgency in the remote but economically important region were due to begin shortly in Asmara.

“Eritrea will mediate between both parties. The talks will be starting soon, maybe in the next few days,” Ahmed said.

Sudan accused Eritrea in 2002 of supporting eastern rebels, whose revolt against what they say is Khartoum’s neglect of outlying areas has rumbled on for about a decade.

Asmara denies giving military backing to the eastern rebels, but admits political support.

(Reuters)