SPLM-N tells Germany to cancel Sudan investment conference

January 20, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North (SPLM-N) has called on Germany to cancel a conference to support foreign investment in Sudan, following its lose of oil revenue resulting from South Sudan’s secession.

The international community decided last year to postpone an international conference to support Sudanese economy, earmarked for Turkey, as Washington and a number of its western allies decided to not attend calling to put pressures on Khartoum to allow humanitarian access to civilian in the rebel held areas.

Germany however, decided to organise an investment conference to promote greater economic cooperation with reluctant Western firms.

Ali Karti, Sudan’s Foreign Minister, is reportedly scheduled to visit Germany on 29 January, to attend an investment and economic conference.

“We appeal to the German Foreign Minister to cancel this conference and to assume Germany’s responsibility in putting an end to genocide, protecting civilians and ending the war,” said a statement issued by Yasir Arman SPLM-N secretary general on Saturday 19 January.

The rebel leader further called “upon the human rights defenders and activists all over the world and particularly in Germany to send out their message to the German government”.

But Arman, in the statement, said the decision taken by the German government was indeed “regrettable”, given its given the record of the Sudan government of “committing genocide and war crimes” in the states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

He also accuses the Khartoum regime of allegedly denying access for humanitarian assistance; arbitrary arrests of women, youth and opposition leaders; mass graves and killings of civilian populations; aerial bombardment on a daily basis on the civilian populations in Darfur, Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile.

The acts committed by the Sudanese government, Arman said, is a violation of the resolutions of the African Union, the UN Security Council Resolution 2046 and many European Union resolutions on all aspects of human rights in the country.

“Therefore, any debt relief, investment or economic assistance to Sudan at this very time without resolving the issues of war, transformation and democratization will mean helping the efforts of the government in war, genocide and human rights
violations,” he said.

(ST)