http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article50912
Eritrea's Afewerki to visit Khartoum on Thursday
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May 6, 2014 (KHARTOUM) - The Eritrean president, Isaias Afewerki, will
arrive in Khartoum on Thursday to hold talks with his Sudanese counterpart,
Omer Hassan Al-Bashir, to discuss bilateral ties and means for furthering
cooperation between the two countries.
Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir (L) meeting with Eritrean
president Isaias Afewerki in Asmara January 16, 2013 (Ashorooq TV)
Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) director,
Mohamed Atta, travelled to Asmara on a one-day secret visit on Tuesday.
Informed sources told the pro-government al-Rayaamdaily newspaper on
Tuesday, that Afewerki will be accompanied by several ministers and
advisors.
The same sources stressed that a summit between the two presidents will be
followed by a ministerial meeting to discuss bilateral relations besides
regional and international issues of common concern.
It added that Afewerki's program of work would include field visits to
several projects and large enterprises on top of which is Al-Gaili oil
refinery.
Last April, Bashir disclosed during a visit to Sudan's eastern state of
Kassala intends to establish a joint Sudanese-Eritrean force to combat
human trafficking and smuggling.
He said that Khartoum would provide Asmara with its fuel needs in order to
curb smuggling, underscoring existence of a high level of security
coordination between the two countries to control borders and achieve
security and stability.
Bashir also called upon the government of Kassala state to carry out its
responsibilities in order to achieve the required living standard for the
residents along the borders.
The head of neighboring countries' department at the foreign ministry,
Ibrahim Bushra, described ties between Sudan and Eritrea as good, pointing
to the repeated mutual visits of the two leaders.
He said that Bashir emphasised Sudan's relations with Ethiopia do not come
at the expense of its ties with any country, in reference to Khartoum's
relations with Asmara.
Bushra added that Bashir had in the past offered to mediate between Eritrea
and Ethiopia in order to clear the atmosphere between the two neighboring
countries.
He further stressed that Sudan supports the regional campaign led by
Eritrea to lift the sanctions imposed upon it by the United States, saying
that Sudan suffers from similar sanctions.
Eritrea became an independent state in 1991 after a bloody war of
independence with Ethiopia. The two countries fought a border war in
1998-2000 that has killed an estimated 70,000 people.
The two East African adversaries remain at loggerheads since the disputed
key town of Badme had been awarded to Eritrea by an international border
commission.
(ST)
Received on Wed May 07 2014 - 05:56:48 EDT