Eritrea's ambassador to Khartoum denied Monday that his government has concluded a secret deal with Sudan to expel the Sudanese opposition from Eritrean territories in exchange for economic gains.
"No deal was concluded with the Sudanese government during the last visit by (Eritrean) President Afeworki to Khartoum for getting rid of the NDA in exchange for certain economic privileges," ambassador Eissa Ahmed Eissa said.
The Eritrea-based National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is an umbrella grouping of Sudanese opposition movements involved in a 17-year-old civil war with the government in Khartoum.
President Issaias Afeworki, who visited Khartoum earlier this month, believes that deporting the NDA from Eritrea "will not help in reaching a comprehensive peaceful solution to the Sudanese problem," Eissa told reporters.
"Eritrea is concerned with and is affected by the Sudanese internal problems," he said, citing this as the reason for his country's mediation efforts between Khartoum and the NDA.
He stressed that his country "does not offer any military assistance to the Sudanese opposition" -- KHARTOUM (AFP)
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