February 9th, 2010….
The Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry stated that Foreign Minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit met with Sudanese Vice President, Ali Osman Taha, on February 8th, 2010. The meeting addressed the means of promoting the political settlement in Darfur, and the preparation for the next general elections in Sudan, scheduled to be held on April 11th, 2010, as well as the course of the current dialogue between Sudan's NCP and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement on the pending controversial issues regarding the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement, demarcation of boarders, the population census, and repositioning of military units, the percentage of parliamentary representation, in addition to the arrangements for the referendum on the right of self-determination in South Sudan in January 2011.
The Spokesman outlined that the Foreign Minister affirmed that the dialogue between the two partners must concentrate on resolving all the pending issues in order to defuse any future conflicts between the two parties. Aboul Gheit outlined the importance of concerted Sudanese as well as regional, and international efforts to put a mechanism for settling the tribal conflicts in South Sudan in a manner that would control the tribal rivalries which resulted in the death of many civilians, during the last year and has become a source of concern to those who are interested in the Sudanese affairs.
The Spokesman also pointed out that the Foreign Minister agreed on the necessity for the International Community to fulfill its obligations towards the capacity building of the institutions of the South, and implementing projects, and development programs to raise the standard of living in the South. Aboul Gheit stressed the importance of activating the international mechanisms concerned with assisting the South to manage those programs and development projects.
The Spokesman added that the Foreign Minister also addressed the situation in Darfur, he praised the progress in normalizing relations between Sudan and Chad, which recently crowned in the signing of two agreements to control the borders and stop any support for the rebels, considering that the reconciliation between both countries is the most important key to solve the Darfur crisis. Aboul Gheit referred to the importance of coordinating the international efforts to achieve political settlement in Darfur, considering the numerous peace paths to unify the factions in Darfur. The Foreign Minister also highlighted the importance of promoting the stability enjoyed by the region in the current phase through implementing the development projects that encourage peace efforts in Darfur, noting that Egypt will host the Donors' Conference for the Development and Reconstruction of Darfur, on March 21st, 2010.