(AFP)
Chad's President Idriss Deby Itno said Wednesday he will travel to Khartoum next week to meet Sudan's President Omar Al-Bashir, amid a thaw in relations between the African neighbors
The two countries signed an agreement last month to set up a joint force on their border, which effectively means that Chad would have to stop supporting Darfur rebels and Sudan would cease backing Chadian rebels.
"I am going to Khartoum on 8th of February to have talks with President Al-Bashir," Deby said in a speech to a conference of parliamentarians from around 20 Francophone countries in Chad.
"At the time I am talking to you, he has not yet been informed, so I'm giving you this scoop. He will be informed at the end of this meeting."
"I am a man of dialogue and openness. War has never settled things and I know what I'm talking about, dear parliamentarians. Chad wants to live in perfect harmony with all its neighbours."