Emir of Qatar, Chad President discuss relations with Sudan

March 6, 2009 (LONDON) — The Emir of Qatar who was in a short visit to Ndjamena held talks with the Chadian President on the growing tension with the Sudan and offered him to meet President Bashir.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani had to visit Chad last Saturday but the Preisdent Deby was touring the eastern Chad and asked him to delay the visit.

During a visit to Khartoum on February 21, The Qatari Emir tackled the Sudan Chad relations with Al-Bashir and told me about his attention to ease the chronic tension between the two countries.

Al-Thani proposed to Deby to meet President Al-Bashir and to sign a non-aggression pact, but the date and the place were not yet fixed, said Mahamat Djibril Adam, in a statement he made to Asharq Al-Wast today.

Qatar which sponsors a peace process between Sudanese government and the Justice and Equality Movement believes that restoring the relations between the two neighboring countries would facilitate its task.

However reports from the region say there is military build-up near the joint border. Three days ago, Jean Ping the chairman of the African Union Commission said concerned by the tension in the border between the two countries. He added he “continues to follow the evolution of the situation in Chad and on the border between that country and Sudan.”

Mutrif Sediq, the Undersecretary of the Sudanese foreign ministry on Sunday Feb 1 said Sudan is fully prepared to undertake any steps to support the normalization of bilateral relations between Sudan and Chad.

However the Sudanese official pointed out if Chad proves its good intentions, the normalization of relations will not be difficult, since his country is fully prepared, whether it comes through the Qatari mediation or other efforts.

The two countries have already signed three reconciliation and non-aggression deals brokered by Libya (2006) and saudi Arabia in 2007, besides Dakar Agreement which was inked in March 2008.

(ST)