Beja Congress urges Khartoum to not hinder negotiations

ALGHADARIF, eastern Sudan, Mar 19, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) — The armed faction of the Beja Congress in Asmara has urged the government not obstruct the journey of the participants in the Hamashkoreb in eastern Sudan conference, and also show good will to release those detainees arrested during the incidents in Port Sudan.

In a press statement to Al Sahafa newspaper, the secretary-general of the Beja Congress, Abdallah Kunah, said the meeting of deliberation scheduled to be held on 27 March in Hamashkoreb is considered to the first step towards peace in the view of the fact that it will come up with a vision of unity of the negotiation with the government which will greatly contribute in removing the suffering of the region as a result of the marginalization for many years.

He said that the Beja Congress, in its presentation, does not justify any call for tribalism and racism as interpreted by some groups, pointing out that the calls for the Hamashkoreb conference is comprehensive and includes all sons of eastern region irrespective of their origin and tribes.

Kunah urged the government to show good will and release the detainees of the Port Sudan incidents and bring the criminals to justice putting into force the principle of forgiveness from the bereaved families to evade any obstacle that my impede the progress of the forthcoming negotiations with government regarding the east.

He further cautioned the government on consequences of what he termed as its effort to separate Al-Ghadarif town from eastern region, a situation which, he said, will incite the grandsons of the tribes living there to issue of the east.

He said the government will be held responsible for anything that happens.