First visit of its kind, Moussa in southern Sudan on June 30th
Sudan-Regional, Politics, 6/14/2003

The Arab League has stated that its secretary general Amr Moussa will on June 30th pay a visit to Sudan in which he for the first time will head for the southern areas there.

The Arab League added that Moussa will hold talks with the Sudanese officials and will later head to the southern areas. The AL was exposed to criticism earlier because it neglects southern Sudan.

The announcement of Moussa's visit to Sudan came after he had received a message in the name of the rebels by Yasser Araman who handed Moussa a message from the leader of the movement John Garang.

An official source stressed that the message pertains to the results of the recent tour made by Garang in the USA and Europe, the efforts exerted to achieve peace in Sudan and the question of building southern Sudan.

Araman said that the message dealt with the issue of rebuilding southern Sudan and the need of maintaining an agreement between the Sudanese government and the people's government on the priorities and work programs of building the south.

Araman added that the message also pertains to the efforts made and the efforts to achieve a Sudanese national consensus, and results of Cairo declaration between the chairperson of the federation party Muhammad Othman al-Meirghani and Umma party al-Sadeq al-Mahdi and Garang.

Araman explained that they also discussed the efforts of the Arab League to achieve peace in Sudan and the visit carried out by an Arab League delegation to Southern Sudan and the need of drawing mechanisms for continuing this relation and the common work.

Araman also said "we are proceeding towards the new Sudan. The same the AL chief is working towards a new and effective Arab League." On the demands of the movement to establish a national capital where the Islamic Sharia is not applied, Araman said "we are not talking about the Sharia. But we talk about a national capital in which all religions are treated equal. A multi religious country, which requires to have a capital that takes into account this religious ethnicity." He added if the Sudanese do not agree on a united capital, they will not reach a united country. We want it ( the capital) as a capital like Cairo, Damascus, Amman and Rabat.

Previous Stories:
  AL Ahram: Bush administration supports Sudan's integrity but not willing to enforce it   (6/3/2003)
  AL delegation visits Garang; Khartoum renews accusation to Israel of supporting its rebels   (5/9/2003)
  Moussa confers with al-Meirghani   (4/8/2003)

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