U.S. Phee says discussions with Sudanese officials dealt with inclusive dialogue
January 7, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – Molly Phee U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs confirmed on Friday that she discussed with Sudanese officials bilateral relations and the need for inclusive dialogue leading to forming a civilian government.
This week, Phee spoke with Sudan’s Sovereign Council Deputy Head Mohamed Hamdan Daglo Hemetti, Council Member shams al-Din Kabbashi and Mariam al-Mahdi Vice-Chairman of the National Umma Party (NUP).
The Sudanese interlocutors said they discussed the need for a comprehensive dialogue in Sudan to end the current stalemate and a road map the NUP proposed to achieve the tasks of the transition before general elections.
In a tweet posted Friday, the U.S. top diplomat for African affairs said she had productive telephone discussions with Sudanese civilian leaders and Sovereign Council members.
“To each, I conveyed U.S. policy views on the way forward in Sudan”.
On the bilateral relationship between the two countries, she set three conditions: ending the bloody crackdown on protesters, accountability for the perpetrators of lethal violence and ” irrevocable action on the civilian-led transition”.
Immediately after the October 25 coup, the Biden administration suspended $700 million in aid to support Sudan’s democratic transition. Also, suspended support to a debt relief programme bringing the World Bank to suspend two billion support to Sudan.
Washington said the resumption of economic support depends on the restoration of the civilian transition.
Phee concluded its tweet by speaking about the need for “an inclusive, Sudanese-led, internationally facilitated dialogue on democratic transition”.
The Troika countries and European Union, on January 4, called for an inter Sudanese dialogue to agree on a new civilian prime minister and to address pending transitional issues.
“Such a dialogue should be fully inclusive and representative of historically marginalized groups, include youth and women and would help put the country back on the path to democracy,” said the international supporters of the democratic transition in Sudan.
(ST)