Sudan acknowledges inter-government conflict over foreign policy

August 16, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) in Sudan acknowledged that there is lack of coordination between official, partisan and popular stances with regards to foreign policy.

The presidential assistant and NCP deputy chairman Ibrahim Ghandour said his country is facing a major media smear campaign by known circles and lobbies to portray Sudan as the “grand demon”.

Ghandour told a conference for the NCP Foreign Relations sector that the party during the next phase will seek to provide guidelines for foreign policy to build strong strategic relationships without compromising what he called the country’s principles.

Sudanese foreign minister Ali Karti admitted in recent remarks that tensions with Arab Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia, but said Khartoum is working on fixing it. He also dismissed views that their relationship with Qatar is part of a political axis.

The Sudanese top diplomat hailed the recent presidential summit between Khartoum and Cairo saying it sent strong signals in multiple directions.

Sudanese-Iranian ties are also causing a split within government ranks between those who call for overriding the country’s interests which is negatively impacted by it.

Ghandour said that the biggest challenge is how to harmonise the expected benefits from links with other countries of the world and between what they know and what Sudan stands on when it comes to principles.

He pointed out that Sudan recently lost many of its citizens working in international organisations because of what he called the targeting, negligence and lack of coordination to benefit from those cadres.

(ST)