Sudan army chiefs arrive
Nov 21, 2002
TOP Sudanese security officials arrived in the country yesterday for talks with the government over allegations that some elements in the Sudanese government have resumed support to Kony rebels
By Emmy Allio
TOP Sudanese security officials arrived in the country yesterday for talks with the government over allegations that some elements in the Sudanese government have resumed support to Kony rebels.
The Sudanese ambassador to Uganda, Surajudin Ahmed, said the delegation will also discuss the contentious issue of extending the protocol that allows UPDF to enter southern Sudan to hunt Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army rebels.
“They are here to discuss concerns that the protocol between Sudan and Uganda may not be renewed,†Surajudin said.
Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Osman Ismail was on Tuesday quoted as saying that his government had already decided not to renew the protocol due to Uganda’s failure to answer questions concerning the time it needed to remain in Sudan.
The delegation is led by Mubarak al-Mahdi, an assistant to Sudanese president Lt. Gen. Omar Bashir, whose Umma party joined the government recently.
Others were the head of national security, Abdul Kerim Abdullah, the director of Sudan’s military intelligence, Mahajobu Sharsrafi and state minister of foreign affairs Sol Deng Alak.
Surajudin said the delegation will today morning meet defence minister Amama Mbabazi at the Army headquarters in Bombo and later meet President Yoweri Museveni at State Lodge, Nakasero, at 4:00pm.
He said the delegation will hold a press conference at the Nile Hotel before flying home.
The team was met at Entebbe Airport by the minister of foreign affairs, James Wapakhabulo and the head of military intelligence, Col. Noble Mayombo.
“They are not telling us what they are going to discuss,†said Wapakhabulo, who had just arrived from South Africa where he delivered Museveni’s message to the South African leaders on the Burundi issue.
The Sudanese charge d’affaires in Nairobi, Muhammad Ahmed Dirdeiry, yesterday repeated that the UPDF would not be allowed to continue its Operation Iron Fist against LRA targets on Sudanese territory.
“They have been given enough time to do this job. The LRA are right now operating in northern Uganda. We haven’t heard of them operating much in southern Sudan for two months,†he said.
“We have reached a firm decision that we will not cooperate with the LRA troops,†Ismail said.
TOP Sudanese security officials arrived in the country yesterday for talks with the government over allegations that some elements in the Sudanese government have resumed support to Kony rebels.
The Sudanese ambassador to Uganda, Surajudin Ahmed, said the delegation will also discuss the contentious issue of extending the protocol that allows UPDF to enter southern Sudan to hunt Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army rebels.
“They are here to discuss concerns that the protocol between Sudan and Uganda may not be renewed,†Surajudin said.
Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Osman Ismail was on Tuesday quoted as saying that his government had already decided not to renew the protocol due to Uganda’s failure to answer questions concerning the time it needed to remain in Sudan.
The delegation is led by Mubarak al-Mahdi, an assistant to Sudanese president Lt. Gen. Omar Bashir, whose Umma party joined the government recently.
Others were the head of national security, Abdul Kerim Abdullah, the director of Sudan’s military intelligence, Mahajobu Sharsrafi and state minister of foreign affairs Sol Deng Alak.
Surajudin said the delegation will today morning meet defence minister Amama Mbabazi at the Army headquarters in Bombo and later meet President Yoweri Museveni at State Lodge, Nakasero, at 4:00pm.
He said the delegation will hold a press conference at the Nile Hotel before flying home.
The team was met at Entebbe Airport by the minister of foreign affairs, James Wapakhabulo and the head of military intelligence, Col. Noble Mayombo.
“They are not telling us what they are going to discuss,†said Wapakhabulo, who had just arrived from South Africa where he delivered Museveni’s message to the South African leaders on the Burundi issue.
The Sudanese charge d’affaires in Nairobi, Muhammad Ahmed Dirdeiry, yesterday repeated that the UPDF would not be allowed to continue its Operation Iron Fist against LRA targets on Sudanese territory.
“They have been given enough time to do this job. The LRA are right now operating in northern Uganda. We haven’t heard of them operating much in southern Sudan for two months,†he said.
“We have reached a firm decision that we will not cooperate with the LRA troops,†Ismail said.