Sudan speaks of disagreements with Russia over Syria
October 11, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The speaker of the Sudanese Parliament Ibrahim Ahmed Omer revealed on Sunday the existence of differences with Russia over the ongoing crisis in Syria.
“In Moscow, we defended the position of the Sudanese government which participated militarily in [operation] decisive storm in Yemen but adheres to a political solution to the Syrian crisis,” Omer said according to state news agency (SUNA).
He dismissed any perceived contradiction on Khartoum’s handling of the situation in the two countries adding that Sudan does not oppose the use of force in Syria but calls for consolidation of efforts to resolve the crisis and combat terrorism.
The speaker noted that the Russian approach is aimed at strengthening the rule of Bashar al-Assad in spite of attempts by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states to extend ropes of friendliness with Moscow to get it to change that policy.
Omer did not specifically address the recent decision by Moscow to intervene in Syria by launching airstrikes against rebel groups opposed to Assad’s rule. He also did not explain where Khartoum’s position on Syria deviates from Moscow’s.
Russia’s intervention in Syria has infuriated Assad’s regional foes including Saudi Arabia, who say that Russian airstrikes have not been limited to just the Islamic State (ISIS) fighters that Moscow claims to be targeting.
The statement by the parliamentary chief appears to be aimed at signaling to Arab Gulf states Khartoum’s support of their Syria policy while not opposing Russian intervention.
Sudan has been aggressively working over the course of the year to mend its ties with Arab Gulf states and particularly Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) by effectively downgrading its ties with Iran.
Last year, Sudan closed Iranian cultural centers in the country which was seen as a gesture of goodwill towards Arab Gulf states.
But Sudan is walking a tight rope on Syria as Russia remains one of its main backers at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir has adopted different stances on the Syrian conflict since it broke out from initially calling it a conspiracy against Damascus to blasting Assad and most recently softening his stance by asserting that Assad has to be part of the political solution.
In 2013, U.S. officials told the New York Times (NYT) that Khartoum has been selling Chinese and local-made weapons to the Arab Gulf state of Qatar which in turn has been shipping it to rebels in Syria.
(ST)