By Xinhua,
Khartoum : The Sudanese government reiterated on Monday its refusal of interference by the neighboring Chad in Sudan’s internal affairs.
This came after Chairperson of the African Union (AU)Commission Jean Ping and AU Commissioner for Peace and SecurityRamadan Al Amamrah concluded a three-day visit to Sudan, which wasthe first for the two persons since they assumed their officeslast April.
Ping and Al Amamrah arrived in Khartoum coming from N’Djamena where they presented to the Chadian side an initiative from the AUto mediate for solving differences between Sudan and Chad.In a statement, the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the visit came in the context of the efforts being exerted by the AU for solving the Darfur problem and bridging the rift between Sudan and Chad, especially after an aborted attack by Darfurrebels on the Sudanese capital.
The statement said the AU officials held meetings with Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir, Presidential Assistant Nafie Ali Nafie, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs al-Samani al-Wasila as wellas other officials.
They also visited Juba, southern Sudan, where they held talks with Sudanese First Vice President and President of the southern Sudanese government Salva Kiir Mayardit.
The AU officials also visited El Fashir, the capital of North Darfur State, where the met the governor of the state, Osman Mohamed Yousif Kibir and members of the state government. During the meetings, the Sudanese officials expressed their appreciation to the great role being assumed by the AU in solving the issues of Sudan, the Sudanese foreign ministry said in the statement, adding that the government would continuously support the AU’s role in terms that all African issues should be solved by the Africans themselves.
“Concerning Chad, it was affirmed that Sudan had been the keenest on good relations with Chad and responded to the mechanisms established to improve the relations between the two countries, while the Chadian regime failed to implement them,” the statement noted.
“Sudan will remain keen on good neighborliness relations will all its neighbors, but it will not allow intervention in its internal affairs and repetition of any threat and that Sudan will work to abort any attempt for committing aggression against any part of its territories,” the statement added.
An escalation of tension has been witnessed in the relations between the two African countries since the Sudanese government thwarted an assault by the rebel Justice and Equality Movement on the capital Khartoum on May 10.
Sudanese President al-Bashir accused the Chadian government of involving in the attack, announcing a severance of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Chadian government has denied any involvement in the attack.