Libyan, Eritrean foreign ministers discuss Sudan-Chad relations

August 16, 2008 (TRIPOLI) — Eritrean and Libyan foreign ministers discussed today the ongoing preparations to hold a meeting of a contact group charged with the implementation of Dakar Agreement signed last March between Chad and Chad.

Eritrea will host on August 26 a meeting of the group to discuss mechanisms related to the deployment of the joint patrols throughout border between the two countries. This meeting comes after the acceptance of a Libyan initiative to restore diplomatic relations between Khartoum and Ndjamena.

Eritrean Foreign Minister, Osman Mohamed Saleh, held talks on Saturday with his Libyan counterpart Abdel Rahman Mohamed Shalgam on the agenda of the meeting of contact group. The two parties agreed to include the implementation of the Libyan initiative to reconcile the two neighbouring countries.

Saleh arrived to Tripoli from Khartoum where he discussed with the Sudanese president the proposed agenda for the 26 August meeting. He told the reporters following the meeting that the Eritrean government would conduct meetings with the leaders of Sudan and Chad so as to normalize relations between the two countries.

According to a non-aggression pact signed in the Senegalese capital, on the sidelines of the Islamic Conference summit on March 13, Sudan and Chad agreed to deploy a monitoring force to ensure stability on the joint border and to establish a contact group composed of Congo, Eritrea, Gabon, Libya and Senegal.

Under the Dakar deal, Chad and Sudan promised to stop all armed and organized activities and banned actions threatening each other’s national security.

Sudan had broken off relations with Chad after a raid on the capital Khartoum by the Justice and Equality Movement. President Omer al-Bashir accused Chad to providing the rebel group with the material and logistical support to carry out the May 10 attack.

(ST)