Sudanese president calls for tolerance over Darfur

OMDURMAN, Aug 6, 2004 (Sudan TV) — The Shura Council of the [Ruling] National Congress has concluded its seventh session, which was attended by the president of the republic, Lt-Gen Umar al-Bashir, his deputy and other political, legislative and executive leaders in the country.

The council issued its recommendations after discussing what had been presented from reports on peace protocols, as it welcomed the contents of the protocols. It commended the sincere efforts being exerted by the negotiating delegations.

The council also welcomed the forthcoming interim period and emphasized the commitments of the National Congress and its support for an extensive national front. It also guaranteed the contents of what has been proposed in two [different] papers – the causes of the Darfur crisis and the proposed solution to the problem.

The council stressed that the Darfur issue was purely a Sudanese affair, and concerned nobody else.

The president of the republic and of the Ruling National Congress, Lt-Gen Umar al-Bashir, stressed the government’s commitment to safeguarding the security and stability of Darfur. He further said the government has taken the necessary steps to stop the friction and contain the problems on time.

He called for tolerance over the [Darfur] issue by the National Congress [officials] at all levels.

Translated from Arabic by BBC Monitoring