New patch of al-Ummah party forces arrive back from Eritrea to Sudan
Sudan-Eritrea, Politics, 11/1/2000

The Southern Sudanese groups which signed an agreement with the government in 1997 have accused the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in being slow in nominating his second vice president in succession to George Kanqour who was relieved recently from his post and appointed as chairman for the south Sudan council after the council's chairman Reyak Mashar resigned from this post in December 1999.

Mekwaj Ding, the spokesman for the Democratic Salvation Front which includes the allied groups with al-Khartoum, attributed the government's slowness in that matter to " win the votes of the Southern sides in the presidential and parliamentary elections" whose measures and arrangements started last week.

He said that Kanqour's quitting and the resignation of Mashar " had created a political and constitutional space (vacuum) in the south." He called on the government to fill the two posts before the presidential and parliamentary elections, as well as to implement the security part of al-Khartoum agreement for peace and end the double-standard position in South Sudan by uniting the posts of the vice President and the chairman of the south council.

Meantime, the Sudanese government had agreed with the opposition al-Ummah party on the arrangements for the return back of the party's militias from Eritrea today.

However, this measure is considered the last of transporting the work activity of the al-Ummah party from abroad after the leader of this party al-Sadeq al-Mahdi said he intends to return back to the country on November 23 following 4 years he had spent in optional exile.

It is also expected to arrive at Kasla province today ( Wednesday) which borders Eritrea the last patch of the Ummah party militias which is called "The nation's army for liberation" and is led by al-Mahdi's son, Abdul Rahman after completing necessary arrangements.

Al-Mahdi had met with President Asyas Afourki of Eritrea and told him about his decision to return back to al-Khartoum as well as the forces of his party of 450 fighters.

Previous Stories:
  El-Mahdi will return to Sudan by the end of the coming month   (10/31/2000)
  Sudanese party denies acts of violence plans   (10/31/2000)
  Sudanese official holds the US responsible for continued war in the South   (10/31/2000)
  Leaders of the opposition alliance meet Aforki   (10/25/2000)
  Meirghani calls coalition leadership to meet October 20 in Asmara   (10/13/2000)
  A new chapter to be opened between Sudan, Eritrea   (10/6/2000)

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