Sudanese official gets cool reception from French communists

April 26, 2009 (PARIS) — The Sudanese presidential assistant and his delegation has been given a cool reception from the French Communist Party officials during his three day visit to Paris this week.

Nafi Ali Nafi held a series of meetings described as “unsuccessful” with French and British officials in Paris on Darfur conflict, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

The presidential assistant suggested to France ways to improve bilateral relations and to work together for the resolution of Darfur crisis as well as to ensure the democratic transition. However Paris said Khartoum should end Darfur conflict and cooperate with ICC first before dialogue on normalizing ties.

At his own request, Nafi met with some the French Communist Party (FCP) and some groups seen as potential friends for the Sudanese government to plead its cause here.

At a meeting with Jacques Fath, head of FCP international relations department on Thursday, Nafi, who is also the deputy chairman of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), called to boost relations between the two parties and said that both sides share same position against the unbalanced relations between the North and the South. He also criticized the western hegemony.

However, Fath regretted, during his meeting with the Sudanese official, the difficult situation of the weekly newspaper of the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) Al-Medan which had been censured for three successive weeks recently. Also he mentioned the lack of good relations with the Sudanese communists.

“By speaking about this issue we intended to raise the freedom of the press,” Fath told Sudan Tribune.

He said that the Sudanese official claimed that Khartoum does not target the communist weekly but that this measure is imposed every time the press deals with sensitive issues related to the security of the country.

However Nafi pledged to review the question once he is back to the Sudan, Fath underlined, Fath said.

Relations between the French and Sudanese communists go back to several decades. The Sudanese communists have been in close contacts with their French comrades and hold regular consultations together.

To mark his disagreements with the Sudanese ruling party, the French communist official also tackled the need for a peaceful solution for the Darfur crisis and the full implementation of the CPA to ensure the unity of the country.

Fath particularly stressed the need to disarm the government backed militias in Darfur and the need to provide security to civilians in Darfur. He also said the only negotiated solution can bring peace and stability in western Sudan.

“Also I urged him to put an end to their support to the Chadian rebels,” he added.

Fath told Sudan Tribune they do are not considering developing relations with the Sudan’s National Congress Party

“It takes more than a first contact to boost relations with a foreign political party, especially if this contact is marked by differences” he said.

He also underscored that they met with the Sudanese official just to listen to what they have and explain their point of view over the political situation in the Sudan.

Since the nineties the Sudanese Islamists called for a large coalition with the left forces in the world to counter the hostile western policy against them and to break the isolation of their government established after a bloodless coup d’état in June 1989.

(ST)