Ruling party accuses western diplomats of interfering into Sudan’s internal affairs

September 27, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – A senior official at Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has accused two western diplomats of violating diplomatic norms by expressing support for the families of the victims of the deadly protests of September 2013.

Demonstrations broke out in several Sudanese states that month following the government’s decision to lift fuel subsidies. Rights groups said that at least 200 people were killed but the government put the death toll at 85.

On Saturday, the French consul and the British Chargé d’affaires in Khartoum discussed with the families of the victims the seriousness of the authorities in investigating the killings and the compensations announced by the government, expressing readiness to exert pressure on Khartoum to achieve justice.

In a press release Sunday, NCP secretary of Europe and the Americas, Osama Faisal, described the visits of the two diplomats to the families of the victims accompanied by several opposition activists as “improper diplomatic behavior”.

“This move is unacceptable, inconsistent with the diplomatic norms and is considered a violation of the state’s sovereignty and a flagrant interference in the country’s internal affairs,” he added.

He urged the executive authorities to hold the two diplomats accountable for their “anomalous behavior”, expressing surprise that the diplomats have adopted the opposition’s stance in a case that has been decided upon by the top authority in the state.

Faisal underscored that the NCP is keen to uncover the full truth of the deadly events so that the government would be able to preserve the rights of the victims according to the national laws.

The two diplomats stressed their governments’ support for the efforts of the UN independent expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan to achieve justice, revealing intentions to put pressure on the Sudanese government by issuing a strong resolution at the end of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) meetings in Geneva.

Following hearing statements of the families of the victims, the French diplomat pledged to immediately report his recommendations to his government, stressing their support for the efforts of the independent expert in order to achieve justice.

Also, the British Chargé d’affaires promised to send a report to its government on the September protests in order to include it into its decision at the UNHRC, saying they would push for issuing a resolution that achieves justice.

Following a wave of criticism, Sudanese authorities said they formed a commission of inquiry into the protests which were the deadliest of their kind against the regime.
However, the findings of the investigation are yet to be revealed.

Last month, the Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir directed the ministry of justice to compensate the families of victims of the protests.

On Tuesday, the European Union (EU) ambassadors in Khartoum called upon the Sudanese government to conduct an independent investigation into the September protests.

They welcomed the government decision to compensate families of the victims but noted that justice couldn’t only be achieved by financial reparations.

(ST)