Sudanese official begins meetings in Washington

February 10, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese presidential assistant Ibrahim Ghandour started meetings in Washington with senior US officials from the State Department and the White House.

Ghandour arrived in Washington over the weekend to satisfy an invitation from the US administration to discuss outstanding issues that have heightened the state of tensions which characterised their relations for more than two decades.

Sudanese officials expect the dialogue to continue at different levels to reach common understandings on outstanding items.

The Sudanese foreign minister Ali Karti concluded a visit last week to Washington at the invitation of two US lawmakers and met with several congressmen, human rights activists and other observers, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The sources said that Ghandour will continue discussions with a number of think-tanks and US research centers.

The pro-government Ashorooq TV said that Ghandour held three important meetings in the US State Department and will hold others with White House officials.

The ruling party figure MP Mohamed Hassan al-Amin said that the visit is the beginning for removing Sudan from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism and lifting economic sanctions.

Al-Amin said the visit is an opportunity to correct many of the misconceptions about the Sudan.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry said that there are elements and lobbies that have no interest in normalization of US-Sudanese relations and will seek to resist it.

Karti’s visit to Washington triggered a wave of criticisms against his invitation to take part in the annual National Prayer Breakfast together with US president Barack Obama and international dignitaries last week.

The spokesman of the foreign ministry Youssef al-Kordofani said that Ghandour’s visit is an opportunity to deliver Sudan’s message and to clarify its views on a number of issues.

He predicted positive developments that would impact future relations with the US.

The State Department on Thursday defended the invitation of the two Sudanese officials and stressed that their visits do not imply any change in the US policy towards the government in Khartoum.

“This visit and also the discussions with Foreign Minister Karti are a continuation of dialogue on a number of issues of long-standing concern to the U.S. Government, with the Government of Sudan. It’s part of the engagement process where we raise concerns, certainly, that you are well aware of. And we engage them in a frank and frequent manner to discuss this full range of issues,” US State department spokesperson Marie Harf said.

“It’s part of the engagement process where we raise concerns, certainly, that you are well aware of. And we engage them in a frank and frequent manner to discuss this full range of issues,” she added.

Sudan is on the US list of countries supporting terrorism since 1993 and also subjected to economic sanctions since 1997.

Washington admits Sudan’s cooperation in the fight against terrorism, but attached new conditions to normalising ties related to the end of the conflicts in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

Sudanese officials however, insist that issues of bilateral relations should be discussed without interfering in Sudan internal affairs.

The US special envoy to the Sudans, Donald Booth, has visited Khartoum twice since his appointment in 2013 where he received a cold reception from Sudanese officials, with Khartoum reportedly refusing to receive him.

(ST)