Mini African summit to restore Sudan-Chad relations

July 21, 2006 (ABUJA) — An African mini summit will be held in Senegal to mend bilateral relations between Sudan and the neighbouring Chad, broken off by N’Djamena in April.

Sudan, Chad, Senegal, Gabon, Tanzania will be held next August in Senegalese capital of Dakar to restore Sudanese-Chadian ties to normal, the Sudanese president said.

Al-Bashir said efforts by African brothers are under way to patch up the ties through mediation, pointing to a meeting which brought him with the Chadian Counterpart in Gambian capital lately and the late visit by the Chadian Foreign Minister to Sudan.

A delegation will leave shortly for Chad to improve joint relations, he said.

Chad and Sudan have agreed to work to improve security on their volatile common border in a move aimed at patching up diplomatic ties broken off by N’Djamena in April, Chad’s foreign minister said on Tuesday 11 July.

Chad accused Sudan of backing and arming the Chadian rebels, a charge denied by the government in Khartoum which has in turn accused Deby of supporting Sudanese anti-government insurgents in the violent Darfur region.

(ST)