Yemeni president to mediate between Eritrea, Sudan
SANAA, Yemen, Dec 10, 2004 (Yemen TV) — President Ali Abdallah Salih in a press conference today reiterated that he will be travelling to Khartoum to mediate between Eritrea and Sudan. He also said that the two countries have agreed to open a new chapter in their relations forgetting their past differences. He also said that both countries have agreed to combat terrorism jointly.
The following are some extracts from the speech of the Yemeni president in Sanaa on the issue of relations between Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan as it reported by the BBC Monitoring Service:
Concerning [word indistinct] resolution, which we had all agreed on – and there is no coincidence about it – I am going to Khartoum, where we have tripartite meeting – Yemen, Ethiopia and Sudan. I am carrying my Yemeni message to the brothers there as a mediator, but I am asking my brothers – Sudanese, Ethiopian and also Eritrean leaders – we should accept one another because no one is able to eliminate a country or a neighbour from where it is located. People must learn to make dialogue as the basis [of solving issues]. Why not give dialogue a chance before we resort to force; all these problems in the world, at the end of the day, will be resolved through dialogue. So, why can’t we start with dialogue before we use force.
I hope to carry my message to the brothers in Ethiopia and in Khartoum on the basis of brotherly and bilateral understanding with a neighbour; where each party accepts the other. For instance how the brothers in Eritrea should cooperate with the brothers in Somalia, how the brothers in Ethiopia will be cooperating with their brothers in Eritrea – as they were initially one country, now two neighbours. Sanaa cannot hold a meeting of tripartite axis against Eritrea; this is what had been circulated by some in the media. Here in Sanaa and in Addis Ababa we were saying that we are not forming an axis against Eritrea, but instead, this axis [grouping] is open for all.
And now, God willing, (?it should be clear) amongst the brothers neighbours -Ethiopia, Eritrea, and also the brothers in Khartoum; the (?relations) will resume – restoring peace and stability in the region – and we give consideration to people’s life, solve their problems, alleviate poverty; create economic cooperation among the people, assist one another in the region.
Material from the BBC Monitoring Service