Monday March 28th, 2005

KHARTOUM, Mar 27, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) -- Some Sudanese MPs
have described as absurd the plan to send Sudanese
peacekeepers to Somalia, the Mogadishu Shabelle reported.

They said it was imprudent for the government to do so in the
wake of the crisis in Darfur Region where peace keeping is
necessary.

However, the MPs are not unanimous on the matter as most MPs
support the deployment.

Abdallah Mohammed Ahmad, a member of the Sudanese National
Assembly and Sadiq al-Mahdi, leader of opposition Umma Party,
whom we interviewed on the matter said it was not the
appropriate time to do so because of the prevailing
insecurity in some regions in Sudan.

We also interviewed MP Isameldin Mohamed Yusuf on the matter
and he said the government ought to consider the matter
seriously considering that the African Union is currently
sending its troops to maintain peace in Darfur Region.

MP Mohamed Safa'anle Hassan, a senior member of the ruling
National Congress party declined to give his views on the
matter but said the government will reach a decision on the
matter.

Senior Sudanese military officers have been holding closed-
door meetings on the deployment of Sudanese troops in
Somalia.

Meanwhile, the Somali students union in Sudan said it is
opposed to the deployment of Sudanese troops in Somalia. It
warned if Sudanese troops are harmed in Somalia, the good
relations between the people of Sudan and Somalia could be
affected. The students' union has submitted a letter to the
Sudanese government asking it to reconsider the matter.