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Interim President Abdiqassim Salad Hassan discussed the issue of the Somali peace process with Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir by telephone on Monday, Abdirahman Dinari, the director of information for the Somali president, told IRIN. The two leaders discussed ways by which Sudan could best help in "completing the Somali peace process", Dinari said.
At issue was the appointment by Bashir, current chairman of the regional Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), of a special IGAD envoy to Somalia. The Somali Transitional National Government (TNG) had rejected the appointment, saying it was "not in the interest" of the Somali people.
However, the Somali president reassured Bashir that the TNG would welcome the envoy and cooperate with him, Dinari said. He said the initial rejection of the envoy by the TNG, conveyed in press statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 6 April, was a result of "lack of communication". The two leaders also discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions