Sudan’s NDA welcomes Eritrean delegation visit to Khartoum
April 11, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) welcomed the visit of the Eritrean delegation to Khartoum considering it as important step towards the normalization of the bilateral relations between the tow countries.
In a press statement, the NDA spokesperson Hatim al-Sir said that the chairman of the NDA Mohamed Osman al-Merghani is very keen to ensure the success of the Eritrean delegation visit to Khartoum. In this regard he made a series of contacts with the leadership of the government of National Unity as well as the ruling National Congress Party (NCP).
An Eritrean delegation headed by the chairman of the political commission at the ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) Yemani Ghebremeskel arrived in Khartoum on Monday 10 April. The Head of Organizational Affairs at the PFDJ Abdellah Jabir, and Ambassador Eissa Ahmed Eissa were among the delegation members.
Al-Merghani underscored the importance of accelerating talks to put an end to divergences between the two countries.
The NDA chairman expressed hopes that this visit will be concluded by the signing of an accord ending the current tension between Eritrea and Sudan.
He also, said that such agreement will create the necessary conditions for the success of the peace negotiations over eastern Sudan crisis.
The acting minister at the Foreign Ministry, Ali Karti, received Tuesday at his office the Eritrean ambassador-designate before the Sudan, Eissa Ahmed Eissa who presented a copy of his credential letters.
He is expected to meet the Sudanese president in the coming weeks to present his letters. These letters accredited him as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Eritrea before the Republic of the Sudan.
Eritrea and Sudan withdrew their ambassadors and closed their common border in 2002 after Khartoum accused Asmara of supporting an offensive by Sudanese rebels on its territory and both sides traded steady streams of invective.
But following implementation of a January peace deal that ended Sudan’s 21-year north-south civil war, Asmara and Khartoum agreed to resolve their differences.
(ST)