Sudan meets Western diplomats following discovery of explosives

August 19, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese officials met with Western diplomats here Sunday to calm fears following the discovery of large quantities of explosives in a Khartoum suburb earlier in the week, the official SUNA news agency reported.

Following the seizure, which was announced Tuesday and yielded sacks of ammunition and cylinders filled with explosives, Britain released a statement saying it was temporarily suspending public services at its embassy in Khartoum starting August 19.

Mutrif Siddig, a senior Sudanese Foreign Ministry official, met with representatives from the United States, Britain, France and the United Nations on Sunday to brief them on the government’s investigation, according to SUNA.

The government had previously announced the arrests of 20 people for interrogation, but did not provide names or nationalities.

“All persons involved in these events, save two, have been arrested … and there is no need for fear or concern about the safety of these embassies or their subjects,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali al-Sadeq was quoted by SUNA as saying Sunday.

The raid earlier in the week took place in Hatana, a quiet suburb north of Omdurman — one of the three town districts that form the capital.

The spokesman appealed to the diplomatic missions to “resume their activities as normal.”

“The government of Sudan is committed to do its utmost to safeguard their safety, security and well-being,” he added.

In a statement posted on its Web site, the British Embassy said, “The situation is under review and we will inform the public once these services are resumed.”

(AP)