Algerian president on official visit

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika arrived in Khartoum for a three-day official visit on Sunday, Sudan television, monitored by the BBC, reported. His visit was scheduled to coincide with Sudan’s independence day anniversary, on Monday. He was met at the airport by President Umar al-Bashir, ministers and other senior government officials. The television showed Bouteflika subsequently addressing journalists, whom he told: “Through you I thank the fraternal Sudanese people and the confidence they have in my brother Umar al-Bashir as his presidential tenure was renewed.” He recalled Bashir’s visit to Algeria and meeting him elsewhere “on many occasions”, during which “we analysed our issues from a new perspective and reached the point of recognising the need to strengthen ties in all fields”. “I think our bilateral positions are in agreement on Arab and African issues,” he said.

During the celebrations marking Sudan’s 45th independence anniversary on Monday, which he attended together with Bashir, Bouteflika said in a speech delivered to mark the occasion that he was willing to help Sudan bring about national reconciliation.
He said he would “join hands with President Bashir for solving all issues that need contribution and coordination with efforts exerted by other parties for achieving national reconciliation in Sudan”, AFP reported on Monday. He called on all the Sudanese opposition groupings and the government “to sit down for negotiations, putting aside their differences for the sake of the interests of the country and the people”, according to the report. AFP also cited the Sudanese press as reporting statemements according to which Algerian Foreign Minister Abdelaziz Balkhadim ruled out any Algerian initiative for solving the conflict, but noted that “there are efforts by President Bouteflika to bring viewpoints closer, making use of his relations with the government and the opposition”.