Sudan’s DUP hopes for strong relations between Khartoum and Washington

January 20, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) led by Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani has expressed hope the new U.S. Administration would maintain distinctive relations between Khartoum and Washington leading to full lift of sanctions imposed on Sudan.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Friday, DUP political secretariat congratulated the new U.S. President Donald Trump, saying the party looks forward to building ties that preserves rights and interests of the two peoples and two nations.

Last week, the outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama signed an executive order to ease sanctions imposed on Khartoum since 1997 enabling trade and investment transactions to resume with Sudan.

The statement pointed that the DUP continues to stick to the national accord initiative launched by al-Mirghani in 2007 and in accordance with the outcome of the national dialogue.

The DUP further called on the government and the opposition to listen to the voice of people to achieve peace and stability according to the national accord reference, democratic rule mechanisms and the rule of law.

The DUP left opposition ranks and joined the “broad-based” government of the National Congress Party (NCP) in December 2011, citing the “need to save the country” in the words of al-Mirghani himself.

The decision of one of Sudan’s biggest opposition parties to join the government has created a great deal of internal dissent that saw many members quitting in protest.

The party received the post of a presidential assistant and three ministries in the federal cabinet and continues to serve under this allocation.

(ST)