Sudan “can’t rely” on US promises – official says

February 22, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – A ruling party official in north Sudan has criticized what he termed as the U.S “dithering” on implementing its promises towards Sudan.

The secretary of external relations at the National Congress Party (NCP), Mustafa Osman Ismail, told reporters in Khartoum on Tuesday that America had never fulfilled its promises towards Sudan, adding that its position had always been prone to fluctuation and pressures.

“We realize that we can’t rely on their promises,” he was quoted by the country’s official news agency SUNA.

Ismail’s statements come as the US Administration prepares to delist Sudan from the countries sponsoring terrorism – under which Sudan was listed in 1993 due to its sheltering of trans-national hard-line Islamists – as a reward for implementing South Sudan referendum on independence.

Last month Sudan recognized the outcome of south Sudan’s referendum on independence which revealed a landslide vote in favor of the region’s secession from the north.

However, the U.S Administration said it would not terminate its economic sanctions imposed on Sudan since 1997 unless the country resolves the conflict in its western region of Darfur, where an eight-year conflict killed more than 300,000 and displaced more than 2.7 million, according to UN figures.

Meanwhile, Sudan’s foreign minister Ali Karti told the parliament on Tuesday that the competent authorities within the US Administration had promised to march ahead in cancelling economic sanctions and contributing to efforts aimed at waiving Sudan’s external debts.

Karti expressed hope that the US Administration would fulfill its promises towards Sudan.

Sudan has repeatedly complained that the political will of the U.S Administration is derailing its efforts to relieve its external debts which stand at 35.7 according to official figures.

(ST)