Sudan’s Garang in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials

ASMARA, Feb 7, 2005 (Al-Ra’y al-Amm) — In a surprising move, the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, John Garang, has excused himself from attending the meeting of the leadership council of the opposition alliance (National Democratic Alliance) in Asmara.

Garang left for Cairo on board a special Egyptian aircraft after a brief visit to the Eritrean capital that lasted for only nine hours.

This has left many question marks and clear disappointment and anxiety within the leadership council, which has postponed its meetings five times.

Garang left for Cairo at 8 p.m. yesterday evening after informing the leadership council, during a meting that lasted only 25 minutes, that he had an important appointment in the Egyptian capital before heading for New York tomorrow.

The leader of the movement (SPLM) apologized to the members of the council and told them that he would meet them soon.

Al-Ra’y al-Am has learnt that Garang is set to meet the Egyptian intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, immediately upon arriving in Cairo, before meeting the Egyptian president, Husni Mubarak, this morning.

Material provided by the BBC Monitoring Service.