By NNN-KUNA
Riyadh : Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Abdul-Rahman al-Attiya has welcomed a Saudi-facilitated reconciliatory agreement recently signed by Sudan and Chad in Riyadh.
Sponsored by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz, the deal was signed between both countries’ leaders here on Thursday.
The GCC chief commended the great role and constructive efforts of the Saudi King, chairman of the current term of the Supreme Council of the GCC, in the conclusion of the Sudanese-Chadian deal.
The deal is supposed to put an end to tensions between countries and to shore up security and stability in Sudan’s Darfur region.
Al-Attiya expressed hope that the deal would lead to the development of bilateral brotherly relations between both neighboring countries in the interest of their people, and even buttress security, peace and stability in the region.
Earlier on Thursday, the reconciliatory agreement was inked by President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan and President Idriss Deby of Chad on burying the hatchet and developing bilateral ties between both African nations.
Under the deal, Sudan and Chad shall promote bonds of bilateral friendship and historical ties in all fields.
Both sides shall also respect the principle of good neighborliness, shy away from interfering into each other’s internal affairs, resolve disputes by peaceful means and put a stop to armed conflicts that egregiously impact on security, stability and development in both nations.
Furthermore, both sides reiterated their full commitment to the implementation of earlier agreements, particularly the Tripoli Agreement signed on February 8, 2006.
They also vowed to thwart the use of their territories in harboring, supporting, training, transporting or financing each other’s opposition armed movements.
African Union and UN political and security efforts to re-stabilize Sudan’s Darfur region and border regions were backed by Sudan and Chad.
Direct communication channels are to be opened between both countries’ officials, and exchanged visits will be stimulated and spurred at formal and informal levels, according to the deal.
They also vowed to develop bilateral cooperation among both sides’ border regions in the economic and health fields, frontier trade, fight against trans-border, transport and communications through appropriate mechanisms and protocols.