DUP’s al-Merghani hails Eritrean president visit to Sudan
June 13, 2006 (CAIRO) — The Leader of the former opposition Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Mohamed Osman al-Merghani, praised the visit of the Eritrean president to Sudan and the normalization of the bilateral ties between the two countries.
He has described the recent summit in Khartoum between President Omer al-Bashir and the President of Eritrea, Assais Afwerki, as a turning point for consolidation of the fraternal ties between the Sudanese and Eritrean peoples.
Al-Merghani, who is also the chairman of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), during his opposition to al-Bashir regime was partly in Asmara where was located the headquarter of the NDA. After the signing of political reconciliation with the Sudanese regime in May 2005, he worked with the SPLM to normalize ties with Eritrea.
Al-Merghani, who is also the chairman of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), said that he looks forward for convocation of the Comprehensive Conference for East Sudan, which is due to bring together all the political forces, factions, tribes, clans, religious leaders and organizations of the civil society.
The DUP asked to be part in the eastern Sudan talks in Asmara, but the eastern rebels opposed his participation saying he did nothing for the region in the past. Eastern Sudan is an area where the DUP had a traditional popular base in the past.
He hoped that this conference will be convened on the background of the negotiations which are due to begin Tuesday in Asmara between the government and the East Front.
Al-Merghani met Tuesday in Cairo with the Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Musa, appreciating the sponsoring of Presidents Al-Bashir and Afwerki to the East negotiations.
He also affirmed his support to convocation of the Comprehensive Conference of Darfur People to guarantee national consensus in Darfur.
Al-Merghani said that he is in contact with the factions which did not sign Darfur peace agreement with the aim to narrow the differences toward a final solution of Darfur crisis.
The Darfur rebel Sudan Liberation Movement before its dissidence was member in the former opposition NDA. The rebel leader Adelwahid al-Nur who refuses to sign the peace deal, was working closely with al-Mirgahni.
(ST)