US Secretary of state visits Sudan Tuesday
KHARTOUM, June 26, 2004 (SUNA) — The Sudan News Agency learnt that US Secretary of State Colin Powell is to start a two-day visit to Sudan on Tuesday, during which he will meet President of the Republic Gen. Omer Al-Bashir and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mustafa Osman Ismail and visit Darfur states.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mustafa Osman Ismail said in a press statement that the Government welcomes the visit of the US Secretary of State and the American concern with the situations in Darfur if it is in the context of assisting the Sudan, and then we will cooperate with the US Secretary of State and the international community to restore normalcy to Darfur as quickly as possible, adding that if the objective of the visit is to increase the fever of the American elections or incite the international community as some media reported or exerting pressure on the Sudanese government, we say such a visit will not benefit the people of Darfur or the bilateral relations between the two countries.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs added that they would acquaint the US official on what is going in Darfur and they would see if the visit is for strengthening statements or it is actually for hearing the reality and assisting the government to assist Darfur people.
He said the government appreciates the US contribution to the humanitarian work in Darfur and welcomes it, hoping that Darfur issue would not enter the electoral partisan competition. Dr. Ismail denied existence of genocide or ethnic cleansing in Darfur, stressing that the government did not start the war, acknowledging presence of a humanitarian problem the government is working to solve.
On the visit of the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, to Sudan, the minister said the government welcomes the visit if it aims to assist Sudan, but if it comes with pre-set stances or as reported by some media to exercise pressure on the government to please some institutions and circles, we say that we do not need pressure, expressing hope that the visit would focus on assisting Darfur people to normalize the situations.