Sudan summons European envoys over non-participation in ‘national events’: report

June 23, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese foreign ministry is quietly summoning the heads of missions of European countries in Khartoum to query surrounding their “non-participation in national events” according to a newspaper report.

The pro-government Akhir-Lahza newspaper quoted unnamed sources at the ministry as saying that this move comes in preparation for crafting a tit-for-tat policy towards these countries particularly in terms of diplomatic representation.

The sources said that Khartoum intends to modify meetings with envoys from these countries accordingly revealing that a total of 13 European ambassador will be summoned over the coming days.

There was no elaboration on the nature of events skipped by those ambassadors prompting action by Sudan. The European Union (EU) last month debated the level of representation they should send to the inauguration ceremony of president Omer Hassan al-Bashir who won April election by a comfortable 68%.

The dilemma for the EU and the U.S. is attending the swearing in of the first sitting head of state charged for war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The EU announced at the time that they will be present at the inauguration “on a local level” and “at the lowest representation which will be a clear reflection of the European position towards Bashir”.

Sudan’s foreign ministry was recently reshuffled with the promotion of its former state minister Ali Karti to a foreign minister. Karti is considered to be a hard-line Islamist and was coordinator of the Popular Defense Forces, a paramilitary group loyal to the ruling party in Sudan.

In 2007 Sudan expelled the European Union and Canadian envoys for holding contacts with opposition members.

“It is necessary now to send a clear message to whoever thinks that the kind of relationship between Sudan and the United Nations, and the international community in general, is that of submissiveness, complacence about the concepts or beliefs that the Westerners want the Sudanese Government to admit as fait accompli” Karti said in press statements”.

(ST)