Sudan’s spy chief praises security cooperation with Ethiopia

March 13, 2009 (Al-DAMAZIN) – The head of security and intelligence service praised the security cooperation between Sudan and Ethiopia saying the two neighboring countries made a considerable progress.

Salah Abdellah Gosh was speaking Friday at the opening session of the 11th conference of Sudan –Ethiopia border development in Al-Damazin, the capital of the Blue Nile state. The meeting was attended by the chief of Ethiopian security and intelligence service.

The Ethiopian opposition denounced in the past the arrest and extradition of some of its members to Addis Ababa by the Sudanese authorities.

Gosh asserted today that policies and stances of security services in the neighboring countries were in harmony. He further stressed that Sudanese and Ethiopian security agencies had adopted dialogue in security issues.

Ethiopia, in the past, expressed worry about the movement of the Oromo rebels who enter Sudan from Eritrea and cross to Ethiopia.

The Sudan’s spy chief also called for vigilance and the need to not give a chance for predators who want to harm the strong relations between the two countries.

The opening session was attended by the Sudanese interior minister and the minister of federal government as well as the governor of the Blue Nile. However the Ethiopian delegation was headed by the governor of Gambella.

Also, the official SUNA thoroughly covered the conference but the Ethiopian official news agency ENA skipped the event.

Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir had to lead a high level delegation for an annual meeting between the two countries on March 10. But Bashir cancelled his trip without any explanation.

Ethiopia which is not a state party to Rome Statue related to the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced its support to the Sudanese President. The world court issued an arrest warrant against Bashir on March 4.

(ST)