Afwerki invites Sudan’s Bashir to visit Eritrea
March 10, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – President Isaias Afwerki has extended an invitation to his Sudanese counterpart Omer Hassan Al-Bashir to visit Eritrea, in move to show his opposition to an arrest warrant issued last week against him.
A high-level Eritrean government and ruling PFDJ delegation headed by Foreign Minister Osman Saleh arrived today to Khartoum to deliver a message from President Afwerki to the Sudanese Al-Beshir. During its four day visit to Khartoum the visiting delegation with hold talks with Sudanese officials and political organizations.
The Eritrean President reiterated in the message his strong opposition to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday March 4. He “reasserted the firm and lasting support of the people and Government of Eritrea.” Also Afwerki invited Bashir to pay an official visit to Eritrea.
The Sudanese President accepted the invitation and said that he would visit Eritrea in the near future, the official Shabait reported today.
In a press statement following the meeting with the Sudanese President, the chairman of organizational affairs in the ruling party, Abdallah Jabir pointed out that “the drama being orchestrated by the so-called ICC amply demonstrates the anti-people stance and defamatory conspiracy on the part of external forces.”
In his message, the Eritrean President once again called for the unity of the Sudanese political parties to join their hands together at this critical juncture and rebuff “rebuffing external acts of conspiracy and attempts to internationalize issues, and thereby strive to achieve a comprehensive and lasting solution to the country’s problems on the basis of Sudan-Sudan approach.”
The Eritrean delegation headed by Foreign Minister Osman Saleh included Yemane Gebreab, Head of Political Affairs at the PFDJ, Abdallah Jabir, Head of Organizational Affairs at the Front, and Hagos Gebrehiwet, Head of Economic Affairs at the PFDJ.
(ST)