Eritrea Says Willing to Strengthening Relations with Sudan

Sudan's TMC Chairman (R)n receive Eritrean FM (1-L) and Presidential adviser on 24 June 2019 (SUNA Photo)

June 24, 2019 (KHARTOUM) - Eritrea Monday said supporting power transfer process in Sudan and expressed willingness to boost bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries.

Osman Saleh, Eritrean Foreign Minister and Presidential Adviser, Yemane Gebreab met Monday with the head of the Transitional Military Council in Khartoum.

The arrival of the Eritrean senior officials comes ten days after a visit of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan head of the Transitional Military Council to Asmara where he met with President Isaias Afewerki on 14 June.

In a statement released in Asmara, the Eritrean information ministry said the delegation handed over a message from President Afewerki expressing "strong expectation to develop the new era of cooperation between the two countries to the highest level".

The two nations seek to repair a relationship strained by accusations of support to rebel groups between the regime of ousted President Ome al-Bashir and the Eritrean government.

The statement said that al-Burhan commended "the solidarity Eritrea is demonstrating in solving the issue in Sudan based on good neighbourliness".

He further expressed Sudan’s readiness to rebuild better relations between the two countries.

The visiting delegation, also, met with the Deputy Chairman of the Transitional Military Council as well as with the head of the Political and Security Committee.

President Isaias expressed support of the Government of Eritrea to the "transitional process" the Sudanese political forces and the Transitional Military Council are conducting, said the Eritrean information ministry

On 5 June, the Eritrean government condemned the African Union Peace and Security Council decisions on Sudan and requested "the AU to refrain from internationalizing and exacerbating the situation in Sudan".

"The AU’s posturing on the events unfolding in Sudan is a recent and vivid illustration of this deplorable state of affairs," Asmara further stressed.

(ST)