Sudan and Chad presidents to meet soon – adviser
November 13, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — Preparations are going on to organise a meeting between presidents of Sudan and Chad in the forthcoming days, a Sudanese presidential adviser said today.
Following a Libyan mediation of last August, Sudan and Chad exchanged ambassadors last Sunday. Also a Sudanese presidential envoy held in Nd’jamena this week successful talks with the President Idriss Deby on ways to normalise bilateral relations.
The Presidential adviser Mustafa Osman Ismail who was in the Chadian capital last Tuesday, said today that the rupture of diplomatic relations between Sudan and Chad during the past months is over now. He further disclosed that the Presidents Omer Al-Bashir and Deby would hold a telephone conversation today to tomorrow.
Mustafa also said the two heads of states would meet soon without further details. However according to a previous agreement, Bashir and Deby could meet in Tripoli and hold a tripartite summit with the Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi.
Sudan had severed relations with Chad following a raid by a Darfur rebel group on the Sudanese capital on May 10, 2008. Bashir at the time accused Deby of providing weapons and logistical support for the Justice and Equality Movement to attack Khartoum.
Also at that time, Khartoum accused a neighbouring country of supplying rebels with weapons. However, Sudanese presidential assistant said in a press conference held in Paris last month that the neighbouring country supplied the weapons to Chad but President Deby transferred it to the JEM.
However, Sudanese school in N’djamena will open soon and Sudan Airways will also resume its flight to the Chadian capital.
In Washington the US Department welcomed today the exchange of Ambassadors between the two countries on November 10. “This is a crucial step towards bringing peace and stability to the region and resolving the conflict in Darfur.” a statement said.
Washington acknowledged the Libyan role and hailed it in this reconciliation.
The State Department further said it encourages the two countries to improve ties and to stop support for rebels operations along the joint border.
The statement reaffirmed also US support for the efforts of the Dakar contact group and look forward to the results of its next meeting scheduled for November 15 in N’Djamena.
(ST)