IGAD asks Sudanese president to lobby Qadhafi on Somali issue

BBC Monitoring Africa

By Somali newspaper Qaran

Nov. 06, 2003 — The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development [IGAD] which is involved in the Somali reconciliation conference, has assigned the Sudanese president, Gen Umar Al-Bashir, to persuade [the Libyan president], Col [Muammar] Al-Qadhafi to bring back the Somali delegation currently in his country to the Somali peace talks in Kenya.

A reliable source has told Qaran press that the IGAD member states requested Umar Al-Bashir to talk to Col Al-Qadhafi about the issue because of their close relationship.

IGAD countries believe that Col Al-Qadhafi wields a lot of influence on Somali politicians who are opposed to the Ethiopian government.