Umma leader to meet Chadian Deby over tension with Sudan
April 11, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — The leader of the Sudanese opposition Umma Party, Sadiq al-Mahdi next week will fly to N’djamena where he is expected to hold talks with the Chadian president Idris Deby, in a bid to mend relations between the two countries.
Mohamed Issa Aliu, a leading member in the Umma Party said that the problem of Darfur will not be solved unless the conflict between the two countries is resolved, pointing out that the Umma Party will make a great effort to realise Sudanese-Sudanese and Chadian-Chadian reconciliations in order to attaint a good relationship between the two countries.
He called for a minimum of consensus between the government and political parties so that they can play a positive role with neighboring countries in general.
Aliu explained that Sadiq Al-Mahdi, is conducing a national effort rather than than being partisan. He added that the crisis between Khartoum and N’Djamena, which has taken the lives of many people, calls for the stopping of bloodshed.
The Umma delegation will also hold several meetings with officials of the ruling National Movement for Salvation in Chad.
Al-Mahdi warned last February that the coup attempt in Chad by rebels allegedly backed by Khartoum could impact negatively on Sudan and its troubled Darfur, saying the whole region “will not calm down until there is a political agreement to end its conflicts.”
“If the Chadian president manages to chase away his opponents, he will seek revenge against Sudan,” which Ndjamena accuses of backing rebels seeking to overthrow President Idriss Deby, said Sadiq al-Mahdi.
“And if the opposition gets into power, the situation in Darfur will deteriorate further,” because rebels of the western region would refuse to deal with a Sudan-friendly government in Chad.
(ST)