Sudan asks Egypt to sponsor national reconciliation bid

A Sudanese official yesterday asked Cairo to sponsor a bid to forge national reconciliation between the government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) rebels.

"This will help improve ties between Egypt and the Sudan" said Essam Al-Bashir, a member of Sudan's Popular Committee for National Dialogue.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has reiterated Egypt's territorial integrity, he added. Khartoum has recently said there are signs of a thaw in relations between the two states, Al Khartoum daily said.