Al-Bashir stresses government’s support for Darfur residents

By Sudanese radio

KHARTOUM, Jan 22, 2004 — The president of the republic, Lt-Gen Umar Hasan al-Bashir, has stressed again that the government will support Darfur citizens, resolve their problems and restore peace and security in the region.

During a meeting with a delegation from the Massalit, [non-Arab tribe in western Darfur], at the Guest House yesterday evening, the president pledged to support the programme of social peace adopted by the Darfur states to bring about peace and stability and handle the negative repercussions caused by insecurity in some areas of Darfur.

In a press statement after the meeting, the minister of social and cultural affairs, Mustafa Muhammad Ishaq, who is also deputy governor of Western Darfur State, said western Darfur residents were concerned by insecurity and were standing united against the outlaws.

BBC Monitoring Middle East