Qaddafi in Khartoum
Sudan-Libya, Politics, 5/11/2001

Libyan President Mu'ammar al-Qaddafi who arrived in Khartoum on Thursday, held talks with the Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in a visit over which several sources said it will deal with means for providing a success to the joint Libyan- Egyptian initiative and normalize Sudanese- Ugandan relations.

Al-Qaddafi's visit is expected to last for two days. Al-Qaddafi told journalists at al-Khartoum airport that his visit falls in the course of the current consultations between the leaders of the two states concerning issues of mutual concern.

The Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael said that al-Qaddafi talks with al-Bashir dealt with bilateral relations and means of revitalizing the joint Egyptian- Libyan initiative to achieve national reconciliation and end the war which started since 1983.

The Egyptian- Libyan initiative which was proposed in 1999 has not succeeded in ending the civil war in Sudan which has been continuous since 18 years. Washington had openly opposed this initiative.

Sudanese reports said that al-Bashir will on next Sunday visit Cairo to hold talks with the Egyptian President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak. The visit was due last Monday and was postponed suddenly following contacts between the two capitals.

Ismael said that al-Qaddafi will review with al-Bashir the role that Libya can play in the area of normalizing relations between Sudan and Uganda who in October 2000 signed an agreement to normalize relations between the two countries after severing diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1995. The agreement has not been implemented yet.

The agreement, however, stated the need to transport the camps belonging to the al-Rab army of the " Ugandan rebellion movement" to Southern Sudan from the areas adjoining the border in the downtown of the country. Kampala and al-Khartoum are exchanging accusations on giving shelters to the rebels movements in the two countries.

On the other hand, the Sudanese daily al-Sahaf said that al-Qaddafi who had visited al-Khartoum in February will head today ( Friday) to Kampala in an attempt to mediate between Sudan and Uganda, a step which was confirmed later by the Sudanese news agency.

On the other hand, the Sudanese daily al-Ayam ( the days) said that the Sudanese government accused the southern rebellions of killing the ICRC pilot ( of the Danish nationality) who was in a mission of giving aids in the south.

Ismael said at al-Khartoum airport that his country's government is ready to co-operate with the ICRC to investigate in this regard.

Previous Stories:
  Al-Qaddafi today in Sudan   (5/10/2001)
  Leaderships of Sudanese parties, political forces to meet in February in Libya   (1/27/2001)

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