Chad’s president reassures Sudanese counterpart over border security agreements
September 27, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — President Idris Deby dispatched a special envoy to Khartoum to reassure his Sudanese counterpart that Chad is committed to the security cooperation agreement signed between the two countries in January last year.
Sudanese intelligence service believes that Khalil successfully came back to Darfur through the Chadian border after crossing from Libya to Niger to avoid the Sudanese army deployed along the Libyan border.
The Chadian envoy, Muhammad Ismael Chibou, handed a letter to the President Omer Hassan al-Bashir in a meeting held Tuesday at the presidential palace. Mohamed Atta al-Moula, director of the National Intelligence and Security Services attended the meeting.
Chibou told reporters following the meeting he discussed issues related to the close relations between the two countries particularly the security cooperation.
He further said that the two countries are linked by different political and security agreements which led to the formation of the joint force deployed along the Chad-Sudan border.
Sudan and Chad formed a joint force to monitor the joint border and to curb cross-border infiltration into each others’ territories by Sudanese and Chadian rebels. Khartoum and Ndjamena also agreed to expel rebel groups from the both sides.
Chibou stressed that the bilateral cooperation stopped any rebel activities from the boundary.
The return of JEM leader jeopardizes Khartoum’s plan to secure the region before to launch a dialogue conference seen by the Sudanese authorities as part of their efforts for peace in the restive region.
Sudanese officials made contradictory statements about the location where JEM leader is present in Darfur. Some said in Wadi Hoar, a valley crossing Sudan and Chad, other said he has no presence in the restive region.
Reliable sources said Nafie Ali Nafie who was in Paris last week discussed with French authorities the eventual facilities provided by Chadian officials to secure Khalil Ibrahim’s return to Darfur.
The Sudanese presidential assistant, during his meetings in Paris, held a discourse similar to what Khartoum repeated before the deterioration of bilateral ties in 2005: “Deby’s family members” facilitated Khalil’s return but the Chadian president was not personally involved in any support.
Khartoum announced today that the foreign minister Ali Karti will visit Paris this week for talks with the French officials on bilateral relations.
Foreign ministry spokesperson said today that Karti will meet on Thursday his French counterpart Alain Juppé, the French minister of international cooperation Henri de Raincourt, and the presidential adviser for African affairs André Parant.
Ambassador El-Obeid Marawih said Karti will discuss the situation in the Blue Nile, Southern Kordofan and Darfur. Nafei did not meet with Alain Juppé who was outside the country.
JEM leader extended a friendly message to the Chadian President Idris Deby stressing that the latter can play a positive role in the ongoing efforts to reach a peace agreement with the government in Khartoum.
However, Khalil Ibrahim said they want a “just” peace responding to the legitimate demands and expectations of Darfur people. he further called on the Sudanese opposition forces to reunite their efforts to overthrow the regime of President Omer al-Bashir.
(ST)