Khartoum raps US decision to order diplomats out of Sudan

September 17, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has criticized the decision of the US Administration to order the departure of all families and members of its non-essential staff from the US embassy in Khartoum, describing it as an attempt to tarnish the image of Sudan.

The decision comes against the background of the violent demonstrations that targeted the US embassy in Sudan and in other Middle Eastern countries over a film mocking Islam’s prophet Mohammed. The film, which was made in the US, prompted hundreds of protesters to demonstrate outside the German and US embassies in Khartoum on Friday, leading to the death of two protesters by police forces.

Sudan declined a request from the US Administration to send American troops to protect the embassy in Khartoum. Earlier on Monday, the US state department announced orders to withdraw 20 diplomats along with their families from its embassy in Khartoum and issued warnings to its citizens not to travel to Sudan.

In response, NCP media secretary Badr Al-Din Ahmad Ibrahim told reporters in the capital Khartoum on Monday that the US decision to order its diplomats out of Sudan was “nothing but an attempt to tarnish the image of Sudan in front of the outside world as a country lacking security and stability”.

He however diluted his criticism by saying that the US government has the freedom to determine its foreign police and that Khartoum’s relations with Washington is based on mutual respect.

In the same context, Sudan foreign minister Ali Karti said on Monday that the government had exerted tremendous efforts in protecting the German and US embassies in Khartoum. He went on to reiterate his country’s rejection to allowing any foreign troops into Sudan to protect foreign diplomatic missions.

“We reaffirm our ability to protect embassies” he concluded.

(ST)