Sudanese president to visit Russia this week

November 20, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir will travel to Russia on Wednesday in an official three-day visit for talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on bilateral ties.

In August 2017, the Sudanese foreign ministry announced the visit saying it would take place during the second half of August.

Sudanese foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour, last August, said that the visit would discuss a number of important issues including trade and economic cooperation, political coordination and consultation and mutual support in the various international forums.

A Sudanese diplomat on Monday confirmed to the pro-government Alray Alaam reports released in Moscow about the imminent visit.

The diplomat said a big delegation, including ministers of foreign affairs, Defence, finance and oil would travel with al-Bashir in his three days visit to Moscow.

The Sudanese president and his Russian counterpart will hold talks on bilateral relations. Also, a number of projects will be signed.

A Sudanese protocol delegation arrived headed to Russia last Saturday to prepare for the visit.

Al-Bashir who is wanted by The International Criminal Court (ICC) for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur region was recently in Uganda, a state party to the Rome Statute of the tribunal.

However, the ICC didn’t issue any statement condemning Kampala for not arresting the visiting Sudanese President. Only local groups called for his arrest.

In November 2016, Russia formally withdrew its signature from the founding statute of the international criminal court saying the tribunal had failed to live up to hopes of the international community and denouncing its work as “one-sided and inefficient”.

(ST)