RIYADH, 21 March 2005 — Interior Minister Prince Naif will visit Sudan tomorrow to sign a security cooperation agreement and an accord to combat drug trafficking.
“Prince Naif’s visit will help bolster bilateral ties and provide an opportunity to discuss a range of regional issues of common concern,” said Sulaiman Abdul Tawaf, charge d’affaires at the Sudanese Embassy, here yesterday.
“The four-day visit is very important keeping in view the progressively growing relations between Riyadh and Khartoum in different fields,” said Sulaiman.
During his stay in Khartoum, Prince Naif will meet with Sudanese President Omar Bashir and his counterpart Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein, apart from holding talks with other high-ranking officials.
Sulaiman said the endorsement of the two agreements is a significant step taken by the two countries, which have witnessed frequent incidents of violence, organized crime, arms smuggling and drug trafficking on their soil.
In one instance, Saudi authorities recently seized a ship smuggling more than 500 rifles and ammunitions to Sudan, while sailing in Saudi waters. The ship was intercepted after it strayed into Saudi territorial waters off the Kingdom’s southwest Red Sea coast.
On the political front, Riyadh and Khartoum have forged close relations. The two countries signed an agreement early last year to set up a political consultation committee.
The Kingdom has also pledged humanitarian aid including food and medicines worth SR40 million for Sudan’s western region of Darfur.
A United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report said that the Riyadh-based UNHCR chapter together with Gulf NGOs Network (GNN) are working to alleviate the sufferings of Darfur refugees.
This is in addition to many other Saudi-based organizations such as AGFUND and International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO), which have extended aid worth millions of riyals for Darfur refugees in the recent past.
