SUDAN: LEADERS OF SEVEN EAST AFRICAN NATIONS TO MEET AT 'IGAD' SUMMIT IN KHARTOUM TO DISCUSS FIGHTING TERRORISM AND ENDING REGIONAL CONFLICTS

Record ID: 343205

  • Title: SUDAN: LEADERS OF SEVEN EAST AFRICAN NATIONS TO MEET AT 'IGAD' SUMMIT IN KHARTOUM TO DISCUSS FIGHTING TERRORISM AND ENDING REGIONAL CONFLICTS
  • Date: 9th January 2002
  • Summary: (U5) KHARTOUM, SUDAN (JANUARY 9, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV: POSTER WELCOMING DELEGATES TO THE SUMMIT 0.05 2. WS: STREET SCENE 0.06 3. SV: FLAGS OF MEMBER STATES INCLUDING SOMALIA, UGANDA AND ERITREA 0.08 4. SV/CU: POSTERS OF LEADERS (2 SHOTS) 0.15 5. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) SUDAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER DR MUS
  • Embargoed: 24th January 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KHARTOUM, SUDAN
  • Country: Sudan
  • Reuters ID: LVAAK4QNO91KL32PON75TQXNE41Q
  • Story Text: Seven East African leaders will meet in Khartoum to
    discuss fighting terrorism and ending regional conflicts, but
    analysts said the summit was more likely to produce words than
    deeds.

    The leaders of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan,
    Somalia and Uganda are expected to discuss the fight against
    terrorism and peace efforts in Somalia and Sudan.


    The January 10-11 summit of the Intergovernmental
    Authority for Development (IGAD), a grouping of African states
    that seeks to solve regional conflicts and promote development
    in the east of the continent.

    The leaders will probably focus on general recommendations
    rather than agree on substantive steps to combat terrorism.

    Washington has said summit participants Sudan and Somalia
    were potential "terrorist" havens, and there are fears in the
    region that the United States could target the two states in a
    widening war on terror.

    Some analysts said the African leaders were likely to use
    the summit to emphasise their countries' innocence instead of
    outlining steps to undermine militant groups.

    Somalia is an attractive base for militants seeking
    secrecy because it is a lawless patchwork of fiefdoms ruled by
    rival militias, some analysts say.

    Sudan was home to Osama bin Laden, the chief suspect in
    the September 11 attacks in the United States, from 1991 to
    1996 and was the target of a U.S. missile attack in 1998.

    But Sudan has recently sought to cooperate with
    Washington, and has arrested extremists suspected of links
    with "international terrorism" and handed over information on
    their activities.

    Analysts also said the summit's scheduled talks on
    festering domestic conflicts in Somalia and Sudan would bear
    little fruit without the participation of the main rival
    groups.

    While Somali warlords opposed to the country's interim
    government said on Monday (January 8) they planned to attend
    the summit this week, southern Sudanese rebels waging war
    against the Islamist government since 1983 were not invited.

    Observers have pointed out that there will probably be
    little progress if Sudanese President Omar Hassan has not
    invited the SPLA, the main rebel group, the Sudan People's
    Liberation Army, to the talks.

    Even if the SPLA joined the talks, the situation in Sudan
    did not favour a negotiated settlement, another analyst said.

    Political observers expect the summit to call on Somalia's
    transitional government to resume dialogue with the warlords
    on the need to set up an administration acceptable to all.


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