Sudanese president returns home from pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia

KHARTOUM, May 3, 2004 (SUNA) — President of the Republic Genenral Omar Al-Bashir returned home Monday from Saudi Arabia after performing Umrah (small pilgrimage).

President Al-Bashir met during his stay in Saudi Arabia with the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Fahd Bin-Abd-al-Aziz and the Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Abdallah Bin-Abd-al-Aziz and discussed means of boosting the relations between the two countries and briefed them on developments in Sudan focusing on the incidents in Darfur and the progress of the peace negotiations in Naivasha, Kenya, in continuation to the consultation on the various issues between the leaderships of Sudan and Saudi Arabia.

President Al-Bashir condemned the terrorist attacks that occurred in Saudi Arabia recently, affirming that Islam has nothing to do with terrorism. President Al-Bashir was received at Khartoum Airport by Vice-President Professor Moses Machar and a number of ministers.