Sudanese- Ethiopian talks on common issues

The Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael on Saturday evening made a telephone call with his Ethiopian counterpart during which talks dealt with several issues relating to bilateral relations between the two countries and peace in Sudan.

In a statement, Ismael said that the main track for the peace process in the country is that of IGAD, but it is not the only option for attaining peace. He explained that the Arab League is contacting various Sudanese sides and that the government knows about these contacts and intends to rebuild the areas damaged by war in southern Sudan and to contribute to halt the war and achieve peace as well as preserving Sudan's unity.

Ismael spoke of the documents published by one of the Sudanese papers on Saturday on cooperation between the rebels movement in Southern Sudan with Israel and Uganda, and the attempts of this movement to buy large amounts of weapons. Ismael also indicated that there are also deeper contacts between the rebels and Israel "and we follow up and monitor these contacts and moves."