November 20, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan’s dominant National Congress Party (NCP) slammed Chad’s lack of seriousness in the in the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The NCP said Ndjamena’s linkage between the improvement of bilateral relations and the expulsion of Chadian rebels from Sudan means to encourage the intransigence of Darfur rebels in the Doha negotiations.
The Sudanese reaction comes after remarks made by the Chadian foreign minister Mousa Faki Mohamed last week where he said no date had been fixed for a visit by Chadian delegation to Khartoum. the minister further added they had been expecting Sudan to evacuate the rebels from the border area and to send a delegation to verify the no presence of Sudanese rebels in Chad.
“A week after these steps we will go to Sudan to talk about the issues of securing the border and normalization of relations, and possibly the opening of the consulates in border towns,” Mousa said.
“The National Congress Party regrets the negative remarks made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chad on a number of issues between N’Djamena and Khartoum, said Abdel Hamid Al-Bushra, NCP official tasked with West and Central Africa relations. He pointed out that Chad is no longer interested to improve ties with Sudan.
Al-Bushra said Ndjamena’s requirement to expel the Chadian rebels from the Sudan is “an attempt to thwart the efforts the Sudanese government for the normalization of relations between the two countries and to undermine the Doha peace negotiations.”
In a bid to repair relations between the two countries, Sudanese presidential adviser Ghazi Salah Al-Deen Attabanti met the Chadian President Idriss Deby on Saturday October 10 expressing Khartoum willingness to improve ties and end the current tensions between the two countries.
During a visit to Paris in October Chadian President Idriss Deby said Sudanese counterpart Omer Hassan Al-Bashir had committed himself to remove the Chadian rebels and to confine them far from the border. He also said he agreed to allow Sudan to verify the presence of Darfur rebels in his country.
Following the two day visit to the Chadian capital, Ghazi said a Chadian delegation would visit Khartoum to finalize the normalization process.
However, it was reported that Chad rebels regained their bases in the border area after a short stay in Jebal Marra in North Darfur.
The Sudanese Presidential adviser was last week in Paris where he briefed the French officials about his visit to Chad and Sudan readiness to normalize relations with Chad.
Ghazi also urged Paris to press Ndjamena to speed the process and to avoid delay in order to enhance the chances of success of Doha peace process.
A western analyst who follows the Chad Sudan dossier said the lack of confidence between the two countries remains high and there is a need to help them gradually and through concrete measures to rebuild trustful relations.
He reminded the rebels’ attack in eastern Chad while the two countries had just signed a reconciliation agreement in Doha in May 2009.
He added Sudan also fears that Darfur rebels would leave Chad after the eviction of the Chadian rebels.
(ST)
حركة العدل و المساواة السودانية
موقع متخصص بنقل آخر الأخبار و البيانات و القرارات لحركة العدل و المساواة السودانية