Foreign ministry says Sudan only represented by its diplomatic missions
Jan 18, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan’s foreign ministry said today that Sudan’s embassies are sole diplomatic representatives the country. The ministry made this statement to clarify the status of GoSS liaisons offices.
The spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Ali Al-Saddeq, said that Sudan is dealing with other countries according to Vienna Convention on Diplomatic and Consular Relations, stressing that Sudan embassy in any country is the sole body that carries out the official and accredited diplomatic representation in this country.
The Sudanese official was commenting the establishment of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) to offices in a number of countries, including the United States, the official SUNA reported.
Al-Saddeq said that no country is allowed to have two mechanisms of diplomatic representation in one country simultaneously, explaining that Sudan embassy in any country represents the national unity government of Sudan.
He stressed that Sudan Embassy to Washington is the only diplomatic representative of the national unity government to the United States.
Meanwhile, this issue was discussed at a meeting between officials at the Foreign Ministry and the US Deputy Chargé d’affaires to Khartoum, who stated that the SPLM office in Washington is a liaison one and does not in any way amount to the level of a diplomatic mission.
The American diplomat said that the US administration deals with Sudan Embassy in Washington as the sole diplomatic mission of Sudan national unity government.
The confusion was generated by the designation of GoSS liaison office as “Government of Southern Sudan Mission to USA”. Also, the head of the office who, during his speech in the opening of the office, thanked “the Government of the United States for recognizing the two missions from the same country (Sudan) to operate here in Washington”.
According to the CPA, the southern Sudan government can deal with foreign states and ONGs in trade, investment, culture, sports, education, credit, loans, grants, technical assistance and other fields of development cooperation. The liaisons offices are conceived as an instrument to pilot such international cooperation for the construction and the development of southern Sudan.
Article 46 of Southern Sudan constitution states that “the Government of Southern Sudan shall establish, develop and maintain good relations and cooperation with foreign governments, foreign non-governmental organizations and associations for mutual advantage in trade, investment, culture, sports, education, credit, loans, grants, technical assistance and other fields of development cooperation”.
(ST)