Sudan’s Bashir invited to attend Arab League’s summit in Iraq
February 27, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir has received an invitation from his Iraqi counterpart Jalal Talabani to attend an Arab League’s summit slated for late March in Baghdad.
In response, the Sudanese government issued a statement welcoming the invitation and affirming Khartoum’s solidarity with the Iraqi government and people, according to official media.
Meanwhile, Sudan’s state minister for foreign affairs, Mansour Youssef Al-Ajab, held a meeting on Monday with the Iraqi ambassador and discussed arrangements for the Arab League’s summit, according to official media.
The Sudanese minister invited the Iraqi government to participate in Istanbul Conference.
The Istanbul Conference is due to be held in Turkey in late March to discuss relief of Sudan’s external debts and economic assistance to help Khartoum cope with the loss of oil revenues as a result of South Sudan’s secession.
Al-Bashir is unlikely to face risk of arrest should he honor the invitation to visit Baghdad since Iraq is not a state member of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The Sudanese leader is wanted by the Hague-based court on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide he allegedly masterminded in Sudan’s western region of Darfur.
Similarly, Sudan’s official news agency SUNA reported on Monday that Al-Bashir had been invited by the UN’s International Telecommunication Union to attend a summit due to be held in the Qatari capital of Doha from 7 to 5 March on telecommunication in the Arab World.
(ST)