Al-Bashir in talks with visiting American evangelist Franklin Graham

Al-Bashir in talks with visiting American evangelist Franklin Graham

By Sudanese TV

KHARTOUM, Dec 08, 2003 — The president of the republic, Staff Lt-Gen Umar al-Bashir received at the [state] Guest House [in Khartoum] today, the American evangelist, Franklin Graham [son of Reverend Billy Graham], the president of [name indistinct] organization, who is visiting the country currently following an invitation from the Foreign Ministry.

Evangelist Graham expressed his appreciation for the interest he found in Sudan [sentence as heard]. He commended the efforts of the president of the republic to bring about peace in Sudan and described what has been achieved on the road to peace as a courageous step.

He said Sudan, given its natural and human resources, was capable of leading Africa.

He said the attainment of peace would open the door to greater cooperation between Sudan and the USA. He said President Bush was personally interested and supportive of the peace process in Sudan.

Evangelist Graham said he would do his best to promote relations between the two countries and provide all the support required during the peace phase.

For his part, President Al-Bashir stressed the importance of the visit and said peace was a fundamental objective for the [National] Salvation [Revolution] and added that the Salvation has always endeavoured to attain it. He said to end the war, sacrifices had to be made, adding that both the north and the south had suffered as a result of the war.

Lt-Gen Umar al-Bashir said the church in the USA should join the international community to mobilize support for development and service provision activities and help to correct the image of Sudan distorted by the war.

BBC Monitoring Middle East