New promise on relations with Uganda

The Ugandan and Sudanese governments have agreed to restore diplomatic relations at charge d’affaires level, the official news agency, Suna, reported on Monday, quoting Information and Communications Minister Dr Ghazi Salah al-Din al-Atabani. The stated intention followed a diplomatic shuttle mission late last week by Libyan leader Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi to improve relations between them. The neighbouring states, which severed diplomatic relations in 1994 over accusations that each country was helping the other’s rebel movements, would also implement the terms of a reconciliation agreement they signed (in December 1999), Salah al-Atabani. Al-Bashir had held a lengthy closed-door meeting with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni at the weekend (on the sidelines of Museveni’s inauguration as president for a second five-year term), during which he stressed Sudan’s commitment to implementing the agreement reached with Uganda, the minister added. Museveni said Uganda, too, was ready to normalise relations, and that the two sides had agreed “on all that would prevent escalation of [poor] relations between them”, Suna reported. Included in the 11-point accord signed by Sudan and Uganda in December 1999 were: a renunciation of the use of force to resolve differences, a pledge to disband and disarm terrorist groups, respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and cease supporting any rebel groups. They also agreed to return all prisoners of war to their respective nations, locate and return abductees to their families, and offer amnesty and reintegration assistance to all former combatants who renounced the use of force. The agreement, brokered by the US-based Carter Centre, also called for the formation of a joint ministerial committee and technical support teams to establish a timetable of specific steps to implement the agreement.