Eritrean Foreign Minister to visit Sudan on 10 October
Oct 9, 2005 (KHARTOUM) — A high-ranking Eritrean delegation led by the acting Foreign Minister, Mohamed Omar, is expected to arrive in Khartoum tomorrow Monday 10 October on a visit of several days.
The visit come at the request of Eritrea.
In a statement to the official SUNA, ambassador Jamal Mohamed Ibrahim, the spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry, said that the delegation will meet Lam Akol, the minister of foreign affairs, and will also hold talks with the Sudanese side headed by the Asammani al-Wasilah Asammani, the minister of state for foreign affairs on strengthening ties.
Sudan has long blamed Eritrea for backing Sudanese opposition groups.
Eritrea has good relations with all the major opposition movements in Sudan, many of them armed groups that have openly pledged from Asmara to overthrow the government in Khartoum.
They include the two main rebel groups in the war-torn western region of Darfur, the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) that have delegations in Asmara and rebels of the Eastern Front.
The Eastern Front, made up of the Beja Congress and the Free Lions Movement, are based in Asmara.
Eritrea also hosts the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), a grouping of northern, eastern and western Sudan opposition forces, which currently represents the strongest political and military challenge to Khartoum.
Sudan and Eritrea broke off diplomatic relations in 1994 after the regime in Khartoum accused Asmara of aiding the NDA, which also includes the southern Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
Eritrea also turned over the Sudanese embassy in Asmara to the NDA, allowing it to use the premise as its headquarters. The move caused Sudanese-Eritrean ties to hit an all-time low.
The two countries restored diplomatic ties in 1997, but tensions continued, particular after the Eastern front escalated military activities against Sudanese government forces, and SLM and JEM leaders settled in Asmara.
(ST)