Sudan wants to strengthen ties with Indonesia

By Veeramalla Anjaiah and Ivy Susanti, The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA, Feb 19, 2005 — Sudan, Africa’s largest country in terms of area, wants to strengthen its relations in all aspects with Indonesia, which has world’s largest population of Muslims, Sudan’s National Assembly Speaker Ahmed Ibrahim El Tahir said in Jakarta at the end of his visit to Indonesia.

Ahmed Ibrahim El Tahir

“We have close relations with Indonesia and they have been growing at a faster rate. I and my colleagues are very happy to be here in this beautiful country. We had the honor to meet President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono today (Thursday). President praised Sudan’s role in helping tsunami victims in Aceh. It’s a reflection of our growing ties,” Ahmed told The Jakarta Post and the Kompas newspapers on Thursday night during a gathering at the residence of Sudan’s Ambassador to Indonesia Siddig Yousif Abu-Agla.

Sudan, a country of 35 million people, recently donated a plane-load of food, blankets, tents, medicine, ambulances and a field hospital.

“Sudan is very much interested in participating in the reconstruction of Aceh. We will help our brothers and sisters in Aceh,” Ambassador Siddig said.

Last year, a delegation of House of Representatives members from Indonesia visited Sudan. Ahmed and his eight-member parliamentary delegation came to Indonesia on a reciprocal visit and returned home on Friday.

At the end of his four-day visit, Ahmed — who arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday — had some warm words for his hosts.

“Wherever we go, our Indonesian brothers and sisters warmly welcomed us. We met House of Representatives’s Speaker Agung Laksono, Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare Alwi Shihab and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda and several other leaders. We want to strengthen this bond further,” Ahmed said.

The main purpose of the delegation was to learn more about Indonesia’s democratic institutions like the House, the election commission, as well as to inform officials about the latest situation in Sudan.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Marty Natalegawa said on Friday that the Sudanese delegation and the Minister Hassan discussed parliamentary relations between the countries and the latest developments in Darfur.

Hassan, according to Marty, also expressed support for the Sudanese government and the African Union efforts (to find a solution to the Darfur problem) and updated the Sudan delegation on the developments in Aceh.

Ahmed said the two countries were committed to respecting the territorial integrity in both countries. Indonesia supported Sudan’s view that no non-African countries should intervene in its domestic problems. Sudan has already welcomed the African Union’s role in solving Darfur problem.

In February 2002, then president Megawati Soekarnoputri visited Khartoum and Sudan’s Vice President Ali Osman Taha paid a return visit to Jakarta in July 2002.

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s planned visit to Indonesia in April this year will open a new chapter in bilateral ties.

As a symbol of friendship, the two countries jointly established the Indonesia-Sudan Friendship Islamic University in Malang, East Java in 2002.

Sudan, a Muslim majority state like Indonesia, has given out 200 scholarships recently for Indonesian students to study in Sudan.