Sudan, Chad agree to exchange ambassadors in two weeks
October 23, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan and Chad have agreed to exchange ambassadors in two weeks, the two countries said following a two-day meeting held in Tripoli Libya.
Since last August Sudan and Chad agreed to restore bilateral relations. The move was in response to a Libyan initiative to mend relations between the two neighbours. Sudan severed ties with Chad following a rebel raid on Khartoum last May.
A tripartite committee from Chad, Libya and Sudan said the two countries agreed to exchange ambassadors in two weeks from the date of this meeting, the Committee agreed to hold its next meeting in Tripoli on November 19.
The Committee expressed satisfaction with the positive developments in the Chadian-Sudanese relations in particular the commitment to halt media campaigns.
The two sides reiterated their commitment to refrain from providing any support or assistance to the opposition in both countries. In this respect, the Committee reaffirmed the need to accelerate the deployment of monitoring teams on the joint border.
The parties also agreed to hold a follow-up meeting in the Chadian capital N’djamena on November 15 on the level of Dakar group. Also, the parties will hold next month a meeting in Tripoli on the Chadian-Chadian reconciliation and the resolution of Darfur crisis.
The tripartite committee formed last September, its members are Libyan Secretary of African Affairs Abdel Salam Al-Tiraiki, Sudanese presidential advisor Mustafa Osman Ismail and Chadian Foreign Minister Musa Feki.
Since Last March, the presidents Omer Al-Bashir and Idriss Deby signed an agreement to normalize ties. However Sudan broke off ties after a rebel attack on Khartoum on May 10.
Since August, the reconciliation process had been delayed by the Chadian demand for more guarantees from the Sudanese party. N’djamena said rebels should be expelled from western Sudan. Khartoum which has reportedly succeeded to stop the Libyan military support to N’djamena seems poised to put the necessary pressures on the Chadian rebels to sign a political deal with the president Deby.
(ST)