Sudan’s government welcomes US invitation for NCP to visit Washington
April 22, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Foreign Ministry has welcomed the invitation extended by the US administration to the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) to visit Washington for consultations on bilateral relations, calling for the development of relationships between Sudan and the US.
Sudan has been under the US blacklist of states sponsoring terrorism since 1993 on allegations of harbouring Islamist militants despite credible reports of Sudan being a cooperative intelligence partner of Washington in the “war on terror”.
Sudan is also subject to comprehensive economic sanctions since 1997 over terrorism charges as well as human right abuses. Further sanctions, particularly on weapons, have been imposed since the 2003 outbreak of violence in the western Darfur region.
The spokesperson for Sudan’s Foreign Ministry, ambassador Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mohamed AL-Amin, hailed the invitation. He further said in a press statement against this backdrop that the mere presence of diplomatic missions in both countries and meetings of ambassadors represent some degree of dialogue between Khartoum and Washington.
The Foreign Ministry further expressed Sudan’s aspiration for a genuine dialogue with the US which takes into account the positive developments on the Sudanese arena including improvement of relations with South Sudan, the signing of a peace agreement with the splinter faction of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), and president Bashir’s call for a national dialogue on drafting a new constitution.
Sudanese officials have always expressed disappointment at what they describe as the US failure to keep its promises to improve ties with Khartoum after the latter signed the US-brokered Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) with South Sudan in 2005 and later recognized its independence under the deal.
Critics expect that the NCP delegation will discuss outstanding issues with the South Sudan, Abyei referendum, the need for peace in South Kordofan and Blue Nile and the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur.
All these point are seen crucial by Washington before to engage the normalisation of bilateral relations and the left of sanctions, a process that involves the US Congress.
(ST)