Sudan tells US diplomat to stop meddling in internal affairs
January 26, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese Foreign ministry has told on Saturday the U.S. Chargé d’affaires in Khartoum to stop meddling in Sudan’s internal affairs in protest to statements he had made two days ago on Khartoum lack of creditability.
Abdel-Basit Al-Sanousi, director of the America Department in the foreign ministry, said that US top diplomat in Khartoum, Alberto Fernandez, was informed by the ministry that his remarks were considered as “flagrant intervention in Sudan’s internal affairs”
He further said these remarks would impede progress of implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between northern and southern Sudan and the ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict in the western Sudanese region of Darfur.
The U.S. Chargé d’affaires Alberto Fernandez had said a political crisis over stalled implementation of Sudan’s north-south peace deal and other unfulfilled commitments would directly affect Darfur peace talks due in the coming months.
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry yesterday rejected Fernandez’s statements on the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, ongoing efforts to settle Darfur crisis and deployment of Darfur hybrid peacekeeping operation. The ministry pointed out that Sudan does not need to “his unwise view and advices.”
The Sudanese government and the former rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement signed the CPA on Jan. 9, 2005 in order to end the conflict between the two sides, which is termed as one of the longest civil wars in the African continent.
He added that Fernandez’s remarks would not help in the continuation of dialogue between the two countries.
Al-Sanousi said that Fernandez was told that the U.S. policy towards Sudan was based on stances that did not help in improving bilateral ties for U.S. continuing imposition of sanctions on Sudan and appointing envoys to Sudan who had backgrounds and stances biased against Sudan.
This is the first time that Sudan describes negatively the newly appointed US envoy for Sudan, Richard Williamson.
The US diplomat was also informed that Washington has no right to meddle in Khartoum’s affairs when it objected to the appointment of a Sudanese militia leader accused of murder, rape and other atrocities in Darfur to a senior government post.
Fernandez was also told that the Sudanese Presidency had the full sovereign right to appoint any one it chose to assume any constitutional post in accordance with the supreme interests of the country, Al-Sanousi said, referring to the appointment of Musa Hilal as a senior official and the objection made by the press office of the U.S. State Department over the appointment.
Hilal was named earlier this month to be the adviser to Sudan’s Ministry of Federal Affairs. The ministry manages the central government’s relations with the outlying provinces in Africa’s largest country.
The U.N. Security Council imposed travel and financial sanctions against Hilal and three others in April 2006 for his alleged role in the Darfur conflict.
(ST)