National Congress, Ummah agree on elections; Sudan- Uganda to strengthen cooperation
Sudan-Uganda, Politics, 2/12/2003

The Sudanese ruling National Congress party and its allied Umma party led by Mubarak al-Fadel agreed to contain the crisis which erupted between them recently on the Estates legislative elections due to take place in March this year.

The two parties joint coordination committee held a meeting in which it decided to abstain from discussing their disputes through the mass media and they agreed to develop their bilateral relations.

The Umma party, the recent partner to the government's elections, has accused the government departments responsible for running the Estates legislative elections of being biased and of drawing unfair conditions for participation. It called for postponing the elections and opening nomination for election for at least one month before launching these elections.

A statement issued by the party following an emergency meeting held on Friday said that there is a great interaction between the departments in charge of running the elections and the departments of the ruling National Congress which overwhelm the Estates and their governments. A matter which "constitutes an obstacle before making free and honest elections that will be conducive for a qualitative turning point towards national reconciliation in the context of a federal rule."

On the other hand, military men from Uganda will discuss with their Sudanese peers in the second half of March Kampala's relations with the Sudanese rebels led by John Garang and means of developing the protocol signed between the two countries which allows Uganda to chase its opposition "al-Rabb army" inside the Sudanese territories.

Meantime, a Sudanese military delegation led by Lt. Gen. Muhammad Basheer Suleiman, the official spokesman for the Sudanese armed forces, arrived back from Kampala after he had held talks with military men there that coincided with the declaration made by the Ugandan government that it asked members of the movement in its territories to hand over their weapons and stay at refugee camps.

In statements quoted yesterday by the Sudanese official news agency, Suleiman said that the visit of the delegation to Uganda might play a great role in the peace process and that he had discussed with Uganda's President Yuri Mousivini issues relating to peace saying "We felt from him some appreciation over what the Sudanese government makes in challenging 'al-Rabb army'." He added that his meetings with the leaders of the Ugandan forces were characterized by clarity and frankness concerning Uganda's relations to the movement and the impact of that on the march of peace.

Previous Stories:
  Sudan, Eritrea differences before the African federation   (2/8/2003)
  An agreement between Sudanese government and rebels   (2/8/2003)
  Khartoum commends Nairobi agreement   (2/7/2003)
  Sudanese- Ugandan joint statement on border control   (1/11/2003)
  Sudan's refuses Uganda's request on chasing al-Rabb army fighters   (11/20/2002)
  Sudan and the conflict in Uganda   (5/20/2002)

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