Sudan calls on France to review its policy
December 24, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan has called on France to review its policy towards the country saying that Paris deviated from its balanced policy and take hostile positions against Arabs, Africans and Musilms.
The Sudanese official made this statement following a meeting with the French Ambassador Christine Robichon who was on a farewell visit to mark the end of her term of office in Sudan after representing its country during four years in Khartoum.
Robichon also was received at the Guest House Wednesday by the Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
Robichon told reporters that she loved Sudan and its people saying she made many friends in the country. Further, she expressed hope to return and find the all the Sudanese living in peace and security.
The good relations between Khartoum and Paris in the past years witnessed a gradual deterioration since France had led at the level of the U.N. Security Council the referral of the Darfur crimes to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on March 31, 2005.
Since France adopted a tough stance demanding Sudan to fully cooperate with the international justice. Khartoum’s support to the opposition Chadian in its aborted attempts to topple the President Idriss Deby and the presence of different rebel leaders in Paris also contributed to the tension between the two capitals.
President Omer Al-Bashir has used to accuse France in his public speeches of targeting his government.
Al-Bashir who faces a possible arrest warrant by the ICC in the coming weeks is indicted since the July 14 by the ICC Chief Prosecutor of genocide, crimes against the humanity and crimes of war.
(ST)