Bush urges Sudanese president to make peace with opposition

KHARTOUM, Dec 29, 2004 (KUNA) — US President George W Bush has sent a written message to his Sudanese counterpart Omar Hassan Al-Bashir urging him to sign a lasting peace accord with the People’s Liberation Movement of John Garang and implementing it, the Sudanese News Agency said on Wednesday.

Bush affirmed in the message Washington’s quest to try “realise the common goals namely the establishment of peace,” that might be attained during the current conciliation talks in Kenya, affirming support of the international community for these peace efforts.

The US president also confirmed his keenness on cooperation with the Khartoum government and maintaining brotherly ties between the peoples of Sudan and the United States.

The news agency quoted Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail as saying that Bush’s message reflected common desire to establish peace in the country and promote the bilateral relation. “We aspire to establishing peace and removing strains in our relations with the United States,” he said.

The minister added that the Sudanese-American ties “have not reached a phase of stability yet.”

Khartoum has lashed out at a bill recently signed by Bush, imposing sanctions on Sudan. On Thursday, Bush signed the 300-million-dollar bill promoting peace and providing aid for displaced people in Sudan, while imposing an asset freeze and requesting a travel ban on senior officials over the government’s failure “to stop atrocities in Darfur.”