The African Union has launched a series of mediation efforts with the aim of preventing a further escalation in the simmering row between Chad and the neighboring Sudan, diplomatic sources said here Friday.
"AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping was in N'Djamena Thursday evening where he met President Idriss Deby before departing for Khartoum where he is scheduled to hold discussions with Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir to try to resolve the crisis between the two countries," according to diplomatic sources.
"The current situation between Chad and Sudan is very worrying. I came (to N'Djamena) and I'm leaving for Khartoum later tonight. Our goal is to do everything possible to lower the mounting tensions following the rebel attack on Omdurman," Ping told a press briefing after meeting President Deby at the presidential palace.
"Our goal is to ensure that both parties will exercise restraint in order to find avenues for dialogue that will bring both Chad and Sudan to the negotiating table," said Ping, calling for enforcement of the Dakar Agreement.
Currently, there are fears that the agreement, which was signed by the heads of states of the two countries in Dakar, Senegal, two months ago, is in the process of becoming suffering the unpleasant fate that has befallen a number of accords between the two countries.
"We want to prevent the situation from worsening further," said the AU commission chairman, adding that the continent could not afford a full-scale conflict between the two regional rivals.
Later in a press statement, the Chadian government "welcomed" the "approach of the African Union, which favors dialogue."
"Chad would like to reiterate its commitment to respecting the various agreements that it has signed so far, including those that were signed in Tripoli, Riyadh and Dakar," said the government statement.
Last weekend, fierce fighting pitting the Sudanese army against the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), a Darfur-based rebel outfit was reported in Khartoum, marking the first time that any rebel group had managed to attack the Sudanese capital.
Speaking in the wake of the attack, Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir attributed "full responsibility" to Chad and threatened reprisal measures. Chad denied the all the accusations of Sudan. So far, the two countries have completely severed all diplomatic and economic relations.
Buoyed by the presence of two almost overlapping rebellions in their respective territories, the two neighboring countries have for a long time been trading accusations of destabilization against one another.
Source: Xinhua
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