Chad welcomes cautiously Sudan decision to restore ties

July 18, 2008 (DAKAR) — Chad has cautiously welcomed the Sudanese decision to restore bilateral relations saying it will adopt a wait and see position for the time being.

Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade announced yesterday that President Omer al-Bashir had accepted to the restoration of diplomatic relations between Chad and Sudan in response to the solemn appeal from him.

“We are going to wait and see if there is a real willingness to foster friendly relations with Chad, if there is a willingness to leave Chad in peace. It all depends on Sudan,” Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chadian Foreign Minister, said in press statements from Dakar.

However he added that it was “premature” to consider reopening border crossings now.

“It was Sudan who unilaterally broke off relations. It can decide whether to restore them. The ball is in their court.”

The Senegalese president, who brokered a non aggression deal between the two countries on the sideline of the Islamic summit last March, indicated to the Sudanese president that they could not implement Dakar Agreement if there is no diplomatic relations between Khartoum and Ndjamena.

Sudan broke off relations with Chad on May 11 one day after an attack on the Sudanese capital Khartoum by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). Al-Bashir accused Chad of providing the rebel group with the necessary logistics and weapons but Ndjamena denied any involvement.

Relations between Chad and Sudan have been difficult for more than five years with the two neighbours regularly accusing each other of supporting rebel factions fighting against their respective regimes.

(ST)