Sudanese govt, opposition alliance to begin talks in Cairo
KHARTOUM, Apr 22, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) — A joint delegation between the Sudanese government and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, SPLM, will be travelling tomorrow Saturday 23 April to the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to meet the leadership body of the opposition National Democratic Alliance, NDA.
This was announced to Akhbar al-Yawm by Abd-al-Basit Sabdarat charged with the Ministry of Information and Communications and member of the joint six-member committee between the government and SPLM charged with the drafting of the interim constitution.
Sabdarat said the delegation heading to Cairo will consist of members of the joint six- member committee but refused to comment on the details of the delegation’s mission or disclose the results of recent meetings he held with leaders of the NDA in Cairo.
In response to a question by Akhbar al-Yawm to the political secretary of the ruling party and member of the six-member committee, Majdhub al-Khalifah regarding the visit by the delegation, said that in addition to the members of the six-member committee, the delegation will include Deputy Secretary-General of the ruling National Congress (NC) Nafi Ali Nafi and Abd-al-Basit Sabdarat secretary of the legal office of the NC.
The latter would be joining the delegation in their capacities as representatives of the NC and former participants in the Cairo negotiations. Al-Khalifah said that the delegation also consisted of SPLM members on the six-member committee who had previously negotiated with the NDA.
Al-Khalifah described the makeup of the delegation as indicative of the government’s seriousness in completing negotiations with the NDA. He said the main role of the delegation was to negotiate the work of the constitution drafting committee and the progress in this area, as well as completingg negotiations regarding other issues, adding that the meeting would be taking place with the knowledge of the Egyptian government.
Material provided by the BBC Monitoring Service.