Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and Chadian leader Idriss Deby Itno have met in Khartoum in an effort to lessen tensions and work towards peaceful relations. Deby told Darfur rebels to abandon violence.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
Feb, 09, 2010 09:08 AM - Xinhua News Agency (China)
KHARTOUM, Feb 09, 2010 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno Tuesday urged rebels in the restive western Sudanese region of Darfur to abandon violence, saying that the peace talks currently underway in Doha, Qatar, were the ideal platform to resolving the Darfur conflicts.
Addressing a gathering of Sudanese politicians and representatives of the Chadian community in Sudan, and with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir standing beside him, the Chadian president said "the Darfur crisis can not be resolved through military ways, and I urged the armed men in Darfur to stop the hostilities."
The visiting Chadian leader also urged the rebel groups in eastern Chad to choose peace, saying that "It is no longer possible to reach power through gun, it can be achieved through voting boxes."
Deby asked the Sudanese government to exercise "sufficient flexibility" in the peace negotiations, saying that "the Doha track, which is supported by Chad, is the most suitable choice for realizing peace in the region."
He also said "those (Chadians) who live in Sudan should return to their homeland and I promise to provide them all opportunities. "
Meanwhile, the Chadian leader stressed his country's desire to overcome differences with Sudan, saying "I have willingly come to Sudan, with my hands extended for peace. I came to transform the calmness in our relations into a comprehensive peace. I have no doubt that President al-Bashir feels the same."
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, for his part, said Sudan and Chad had put aside the differences and the two leaders decided to work together to achieve peace and development in their respective countries.
"Today we affirm that we have folded the page of troubles. Our will make joint efforts to achieve peace and development and to provide services for our peoples," he said.
He also stressed the importance of coordination between the two countries' leadership to overcome all difficulties, saying "there are enemies for peace in Sudan and Chad. These enemies may move again to undermine the two countries' relations, therefore, we agreed to maintain direct contact between the two countries' leadership to tackle any difference or problem."
The Chadian president arrived in Khartoum on Monday on an official tow-day visit, during which he and his Sudanese counterpart held closed-door talks in Khartoum and vowed to overcome differences between their countries and normalize bilateral ties to achieve security along their joint borders.
Since the eruption of the Darfur conflicts in 2003, Sudan and Chad had been trading accusations that the other supported rebel groups and interfered in internal affairs, but last October the President Deby considered Khartoum's offer to end hostilities and stop support for rebel movements based on both sides of the borders.
Last month, the two countries inked a technical protocol on the establishment of the 3000-strong joint border force that will be led by a Sudanese commander during the first six months.
As the April general elections are approaching in Sudan, an improvement of relations between Sudan and its western neighbor Chad could help ease tensions in Darfur and the re-election of the incumbent President al-Bashir.
Sudan has 'turned the page' on Chad conflict: Beshir
by Guillaume Lavallee
KHARTOUM (AFP) – Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir said on Tuesday that Sudan had "completely turned the page" in its conflict with Chad and was ready to fully normalise relations with its neighbour.
"I say to our people in Sudan and in Chad, we have completely turned the page on problems between us," Beshir said, as Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno made his first visit to Sudan since 2004.
"This visit has put an end to the problems between Chad and Sudan," he further added during a joint news conference with Deby.
"We have agreed to work together to achieve peace and stability," he said.
Deby said he was also willing to work for a new start with Sudan.
"I have come with an open heart and my hand stretched out to write a new page in our relations," Deby said.
"I have no doubt that my brother Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Beshir has the same sentiments and will," Deby told over a thousand people gathered in Khartoum.
Chad and Sudan have had strained ties over the past five years, with Chad accusing Sudan of supporting rebels seeking to oust its government and Khartoum charging Ndjamena with backing ethnic minority rebels in western Darfur.
In March 2008, the two states signed the Dakar agreement in the Senegalese capital, but it crumbled months later when a key Darfur rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement, launched an unprecedented assault on Khartoum.
This was followed by a surprise rebel attack on Ndjamena which came close to overthrowing Deby before government forces managed to rally and rout the insurgents.
But in mid-January, Sudan and Chad agreed to deploy a joint force on their border, in order to end the presence of rebels on each other's territory and halt their activities as part of normalisation efforts.
"When we were told that President Deby was coming to Khartoum it was a surprise, but a pleasant surprise," Beshir said.
Beshir said joint projects would be set up in the border area between both countries in order to help those affected by the Darfur conflict.
"A calm is not enough. Agreements and protocols alone cannot bring back confidence if politics are not included. It is time to outdo ourselves in order to seal this peace," Deby said.
"If I am with you today, it's not purely for an accolade, I have come so that we can transform the current calm into definitive peace," he said.
The Sudanese leader has accepted an invitation to visit Ndjamena, but no date has yet been set, Sudanese officials said.
In Jeddah, the Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu expressed "great satisfaction" with Deby's visit.
"The landmark visit to Sudan by President Deby reflects the genuine commitment of the two leaders to work together towards settling all the differences and strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two neighbouring countries, members of the OIC," Ihsanoglu said.
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