WASHINGTON, Feb 14, 2004 (Sudan Tribune) — The deputy head of Sudan’s diplomatic mission to the USA, ambassador Abd-al-Baqi Kabir, accused what he called the US "religious right wing" of being behind the message sent last week by two members of the US Congress to the White House.

In the message the two members, Donald M. Payne and Thomas Tancredo, asked the President Bush to open an inquiry on the involvement of some Sudanese officials in the attempt to assassinate Egyptian President Husni Mubarak and the likelihood of their involvement in "international terrorism".

Commenting on the message, and in a statement to the London based Al-Sharq al- Awsat, the Sudanese envoy said: "There is no doubt that the message originates from the well known religious lobby and its member organizations, and that Donald Payne represents the major opposition to the Sudanese government."

The Sudanese ambassador said that "Payne is linked with the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in the south", led by John Garang.

The envoy added that "Khartoum government is now in talks with the SPLM for this reason and the Sudanese government regards the message as an attempt to put pressure on the Sudanese government".

The ambassador scorned the attempt to link Khartoum with the assassination bid against the Egyptian president during his visit to Addis Ababa in 1995 and pointed out that with regard to this, Khartoum government had already been cleared by both Egypt and the UN.