DATE=7/11/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-251640
TITLE=EGYPT-SUDAN OPPOSITION (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=RICHARD ENGEL
DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: SUDANESE OPPOSITION LEADERS ARE GATHERED IN CAIRO FOR
TWO-DAYS OF MEETINGS WITH EGYPTIAN OFFICIALS WHO ARE TRYING TO
MEDIATE AN END TO ONE OF AFRICA'S LONGEST CONFLICTS. RICHARD
ENGEL REPORTS FROM CAIRO THAT EGYPT IS WORKING TO UNITE THE
SUDANESE PEACE PROCESS, WHICH HAS BEEN FRACTURED IN RECENT
MONTHS.
TEXT: IN A STATEMENT READ IN THE EGYPTIAN CAPITAL, THE LEADER OF
THE "SUDAN PEOPLE'S LIBERATION MOVEMENT", JOHN GARANG, SAID THE
SUDANESE GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO DIVIDE AN ALLIANCE OF SUDANESE
OPPOSITION GROUPS.
/// ACT IN ARABIC - FADE ///
MR. GARANG SAID THE GOVERNMENT IN SUDAN HOPES TO BREAK THE RANKS
OF THE SUDANESE OPPOSITION BY SEEKING OUT NEW MEDIATORS TO THE
16-YEAR CONFLICT. HE WAS APPARENTLY REFERRING TO A MEETING IN
GENEVA LAST MONTH BETWEEN SUDAN'S POLITICALLY POWERFUL SPEAKER OF
PARLIAMENT, HASSAN AL TURABI, AND A SUDANESE OPPOSITION LEADER,
SADEK AL MAHDI.
AFTER THE MEETING IN GENEVA, MR. TURABI SAID THAT MR. MAHDI --WHO
ONCE SERVED AS SUDAN'S PRIME MINISTER -- WOULD BE WELCOME IF HE
RETURNED TO KHARTOUM.
THESE COMMENTS, AND THE FAILURE OF THE OPPOSITION TO TOPPLE THE
GOVERNMENT IN KHARTOUM, LEAD SOME ANALYSTS TO SUSPECT THAT MR.
MAHDI COULD BE WORKING OUT A DEAL TO RETURN TO SUDAN. THAT WOULD
MEAN AN END THE UNIFIED SUDANESE OPPOSITION.
BUT IN CAIRO, MR. MAHDI DEFENDED HIS MEETINGS IN GENEVA. THE
FORMER PRIME MINISTER SAID HE MET MR. TURABI FOR WHAT HE CALLED
PERSONAL REASONS, AND NOT ON BEHALF OF THE ALLIED SUDANESE
OPPOSITION.
/// MAHDI ACT IN ARABIC -- FADE ///
MR. MAHDI ALSO SAID THAT EGYPT SHOULD REALIZE THAT IT IS NOT THE
ONLY PARTY HOPING TO NEGOTIATE AN END TO THE SUDANESE CIVIL WAR.
THE MEETINGS IN CAIRO ARE HEADED BY EGYPT'S DEPUTY PRIME
MINISTER, YOUSSIF WALI, WHO STRESSED EGYPT WOULD LIKE TO SEE
SUDAN REMAIN A UNIFIED COUNTRY.
THE TALKS WITH THE SUDANESE OPPOSITION COME AS RELATIONS BETWEEN
THE GOVERNMENTS IN CAIRO AND KHARTOUM ARE IMPROVING.
RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS HIT AN ALL-TIME LOW IN 1995
WHEN EGYPT ACCUSED SUDAN OF INVOLVEMENT IN AN ATTEMPT TO
ASSASSINATE EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK.
BUT DIPLOMATS SAY PRESIDENT MUBARAK COULD MEET WITH SUDAN'S
PRESIDENT, OMAR AL BASHIR, ON THE SIDELINES OF AN ORGANIZATION OF
AFRICAN UNITY SUMMIT, SCHEDULED TO END WEDNESDAY.
A SUDANESE OPPOSITION LEADER, MOHAMMED MIGHRANI (MI-GRA-NI), SAID
HE HOPES THE IMPROVING RELATIONS BETWEEN CAIRO AND KHARTOUM MEAN
THAT EGYPT WILL BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO MEDIATE THE CONFLICT.
(SIGNED)
NEB/RE/ALW/RAE
11-Jul-99 12:01 PM EDT (1601 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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