Sudan and Chad agree to restore diplomatic relations

Sudan and Chad agreed to restore bilateral relations and stop media campaigns. Also, the president of the two countries agreed to take part in tripartite summit with the Libyan leader

The announce came following a meeting between the Sudanese president Omer al-Bashir and the Libyan minister for African Affairs, Abdel-Salam Triki who arrived to Khartoum after a short visit to N’djamena where he met with the Chadian president Idriss Deby.

On Friday evening, Triki told the reporters that Sudan and Chad have agreed to resume diplomatic relations in accordance with a peace plan proposed by the Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi.

“The two countries expressed their commitment to the previous agreements, especially Tripoli agreement and the implementation of all its clauses including to stop all media campaigns between the two countries and everything that would affect these relations as well as to work to return to normal and fraternal relations between them,” Triki said.

The Libyan minister further said that Sudan agreed to assist Chad to resolve internal problems in accordance with the Sirte agreement of October 25, 2007 between Chadian government and rebel groups. Also, Chad agreed to work with Sudan to find a solution to the conflict of Darfur, he pointed out.

Triki stressed that Libya would work with both sides to implement these commitments.

He said that a tripartite summit would be held to approve this agreement, adding the two presidents are keen to resume the bilateral ties and to reactivate the previous deals.

Relations between Sudan and Chad are very volatile since 2004 when Khartoum started to suspect N’Djamena of backing Darfur rebels. Since, the two countries accuse each other of supporting internal armed opposition.

The two countries also signed in the past different reconciliation and non-aggression pacts but they failed to observe. Under regional and international pressures they agreed in Dakar last March to stop support of each other rebel groups and to deploy African teams to monitor the joint border.

However, Sudan following a rebel attack on the capital Khartoum on May 10 severed relations with N’Djamena and accused it of supporting the raid. Nonetheless, President al-Bashir committed him self last month to restore relations with Chad in a telephone conversation with Senegalese President Abdullah Wade.

The Chadian Presidency said today in a statement posted in its website that the Libyan leader "intends to defuse the current tension prevailing between N’Djamena and Khartoum and promote a dynamic and fruitful cooperation." The statement stressed that the Libyan initiative comes "In line with the peace agreement of Sirte on 25 October 2007."

For his part, Mustafa Osman Ismail, Sudanese Presidential Adviser said that President Bashir appreciates the Libyan initiative and accepted it. The Sudanese president further directed the concerned organs to reopen the embassy in the Chadian capital and instructed the official media to stop campaigns against Chad, he said.

The presidential adviser also expressed hope that Chad cooperate positively in the next stage to "restore relationship to what it was."