Sudan backs Ethiopia’s intervention in Somalia – minister

Jan 10, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopian Foreign minister said today that Sudan supports fully Ethiopia’s action against the Somali Islamists militia as well as the other IGAD members, the Ethiopian TV reported today.

Ethiopian Minister of Foreign Affairs Seyoum Mesfin disclosed that Sudan and Kenya have reaffirmed their support to the Ethiopian government, while the government of Kenya said it is working in collaboration with the Ethiopian government to bring sustainable peace and stability in Somalia.

Seyoum said his ministry held discussions with its Sudanese counterpart on the current Somali Issue and added that the government of Sudan expressed its full support to Ethiopian government measures towards safeguarding the sovereignty of the country.

Speaking in the second-year anniversary of the comprehensive peace agreement signed between the government of Sudan and the former rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, in Juba, Minister of Foreign Affairs Seyoum Mesfin said Ethiopia’s measure against the attack of the Somali extremist group got the support of IGAD member states.

Sudan which is the current head of the Arab League, sponsored peace talks between the Somali interim government and the Union of Islamic courts, but the talks were at deadlock because of Islamist intransigence.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir had in the first time publicly backed the Somali Islamists and accused the USA of attack against Islam and Muslim world. However, last week he said he backs peace and stability in Somalia without any interest in who is establishing this stability.

(ST)