Eritrean radio hails US Congressmen request of Sudan’s involvement in terror

ASMARA, Feb 18, 2004 (Sudan Tribune) — Asmara radio has welcomed yesterday the demand by two US congressmen to bring to trial 12 Sudanese officials accused of supporting terrorism.

Congressmen Donald M. Payne and Thomas Tancredo have requested, in a letter addressed 5 February to US President Bush, to investigate the direct or indirect involvement of Sudanese government officials in support of terrorism and terror groups over the past decade.

The Eritrean radio said members of the US Congress had asked President Bush to bring to trial leaders of the Sudanese government involved in the assassination attempt against Egyptian President Husni Mubarak.

The radio accused Sudan of supporting Eritrean Islamic extremist groups which carried out suicide operations and killed innocents and foreigners in Eritrea.

It said the US demand came late and Sudan’s regime had remained a stronghold of fundamentalist groups threatening the world’s peace.

Sudanese government has strongly rejected this demand.

Sudan Foreign minister, Mustafa Osman Ismail, accused some members of the US Congress of “being hostile to Sudan and try to torpedo the peace process”.