Sudanese president expects to sign agreement with opposition in Cairo

KHARTOUM, April 17, 2005 (KUNA) — President Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir expects to sign a final agreement between the Sudanese government and the opposition National semocratic Alliance (NDA) led by Mohammad Osman Mirghani in Cairo.

Al-Bashir said in a speech late last night to the General Secretariat of the Arab Journalists Union held in Khartoum that his government will continue to engage in a dialogue with all political leaders, including the head of the Popular Arab and Islamic Conference Hassan Al-Turabi, whom he accused of attempting to overthrow the regime.

Al-Bashir said that his government is also awiating the Communist Party’s decision on starting talks with the government.

Al-Bashir said that the delay of the discussions and failing to reach an agreement is due to the recent humanitarian crisis, affecting more than two million people raging in the Darfur region of western Sudan.

Furthermore, Chief of the Arab Journalists Union Ibrahim Nafie said that Sudan is a targeted Arab and African country due to its natural resources.

The meetings of the General Secretariat of the Arab Journalists Union started in Khartoum on Saturday with the participation of 15 Arab journalist unions. The meeting is expected to issue a statement on Darfur, as the union had sent a delegation to the region to study the situation there and prepare a report.