Sudan buys presidential yacht for AU summit

Dec 28, 2005 (KHARTOUM) — The presidential yacht from Czechoslovakia arrived yesterday in Khartoum among tightened security. The yacht is to be used to ferry delegates to the AU summit in Khartoum next January from the presidential villas to Friendship Hall, the summit venue.

According to the Sudanese Alayam newspaper, The yacht, which has two decks and measures 9.5 m by 36 m, completed an arduous journey from Port Sudan to Khartoum and took about 20 days to arrive in Giad town yesterday.

The yacht, which was bought in accordance with Sudanese naval specifications, has been named Al-Qasr (palace) and will be put on the Nile at the Baburat area in Khartoum North. Al-Qasr is the first large yacht to arrive in Sudan for presidential services.

(ST)