Feuding neighbours Chad and Sudan restore ties (Good news!)

[uppityperson]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/115506217844.htm

Chad and Sudan agreed on Tuesday to restore diplomatic relations and reopen their volatile border which was closed in mid-April following rebel raids N'Djamena blamed on Khartoum.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and several other African leaders witnessed the public reconciliation in N'Djamena between Chadian President Idriss Deby and his Sudanese counterpart Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who have been at loggerheads for months.

Deby broke off relations with his eastern neighbour on April 14, accusing Sudan of promoting and backing a surprise attack by rebels on the Chadian capital in which several hundred people were killed and wounded. Khartoum denied the charges.

Gaddafi and other regional leaders have been pressing Deby and al-Bashir to settle their differences as part of international efforts to pacify Sudan's western Darfur region. It borders Chad and tens of thousands have been killed in political and ethnic fighting there since 2003.(more@link)

Nice to read a bit of good news,

[Igel]

1. Ambiguous news.

One the one hand, good.

On the other hand, it was just yesterday that Chad decided to recognize China and drop its recognition of Taiwan.

China is Sudan's biggest defender. Oil.

Chad has oil. Chad's had a lot of anti-whoever's-in-charge-of-Chad rebel activity along the eastern fringe near Darfur; rumor from one quarter is that China was applying pressure. Speculation is that that pressure will diminish.

If Chad was indeed backing rebels on Sudan's western side, that's a thing of the past.

Which means, as I said earlier today or yesterday, expect an expeditious settlement to Darfur, almost certainly in Khartoum's favor. The Janjaweed should be relatively happy.

Good news, indeed. For the oil flow to China.

Probably not so good for the Fur.

[uppityperson]

2. Thank you for your input.

I have not been following it all as closely as I should have, but thought any time they might talk would be good. Thank you for the information, appreciate it.

[nam78_two]

3. Thats good to read

Thanks for posting that...
I follow Sudan and Chad as much as I can...
Sudan's plight is so often ignored in the media :(


(nice handle btw...I never have a hard time remembering you ;))