Qatar confirms readiness to receive Sudan’s Bashir
March 24, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — A senior Qatari official today paid a brief visit to the Sudanese capital today to deliver a verbal message to embattled president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir from Emir Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani.
There has been mounting pressure inside Sudan on Bashir to skip the Arab summit amid fears that his plane may be intercepted en route to Doha.
The Qatari prime minster Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim al-Thani told reporters afterwards that he is “repeating the invitation as a prime minister and a foreign minister of Qatar” before adding that it is up to Bashir whether he wants to attend.
“We are proponents of International Justice and international law and we respect international law” al-Thani said. He also noted that Qatar is not a signatory to the Rome Statute which forms the basis of the ICC.
However he warned that the Arab world must act in solidarity “not through talks or visits” and suggested that Sudan must acknowledge abuses committed in Darfur.
“We are part of the Arab world and we hurt if it feels the pain. We are not immune from errors but it is important to admit injustice and move forward” he said.
Al-Thani also disclosed that his government has been under pressure from countries so as not to receive Bashir but declined to name them.
On the issue of the host talks hosted by Qatar, he denied reports that Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) decided to pull from the talks.
“There was a special envoy of the movement in Doha yesterday, and they will participate in the (peace) talks” he said.
JEM has announced last week that it will suspend its participation in the Qatar hosted peace talks until Sudan rescinds its expulsion order of aid groups from Darfur.
Khartoum has accused the relief organizations expelled of collaborating with the ICC in its Darfur investigations. However the NGO’s and the ICC prosecutor denied the allegations.
Al-Thani’s remarks conflicts with those of JEM spokesperson Ahmed Hussein he made to Sudan Tribune yesterday.
“Make no mistake about it. There will be no return to the negotiating table until aid groups are allowed back. The expulsion decision in itself constitutes a violation of the agreement Khartoum signed with us in Doha which provides for facilitation of humanitarian flow” Hussein said.
“If Qatar wants to assert itself as an impartial peace broker they must publicly demand that Khartoum revokes their decision” he added.
Sudan has stressed that the expulsion order is “irreversible”.
The Qatari official said that they have been in contact with almost all Darfur rebel groups in a bid to convince them to attend the Doha peace talks.
In mid-March five rebel factions signed an agreement in Libya pledging to take part in the Doha peace process with one delegation.
Last month JEM and Khartoum signed a goodwill agreement in the Qatari capital, pledging to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the six-year conflict in the Western Sudan region of Darfur but a date for the full blown talks has not been fixed yet.
(ST)
