Sudanese-Qatari committee to meet on Wednesday in Doha
March 18, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The Joint Sudanese-Qatari Higher Committee (JSQHC) would meet in Doha on 21 March.
The Sudanese Ambassador to Doha, Fath al-Rahman Ali, said the meeting would discuss a number of issues and programmes to achieve the joint interests of the two peoples.
He added the two sides would sign a number of agreements, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and executive programmes on the political, economic and cultural domains.
Qatar has been one of the few countries where the government of President al-Bashir enjoys relatively warm relations with. For years the rich Arab Gulf state has hosted peace talks between the Sudanese government and Darfur rebel groups which eventually resulted in the signing of the DDPD in 2011.
In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE and Egypt severed ties with Qatar accusing it of supporting Islamist terrorist groups and arch-foe Iran. But Doha vehemently denies the charges.
Sudan is among the Arab states that refused to take part in the ongoing diplomatic crisis and declared its support for the Kuwaiti efforts to settle the rift.
Since 19 December 2018, the Sudanese government has been facing ongoing street protests decrying worsening economic conditions and demanding that President Omer al-Bashir step down.
In a phone conversation last December, Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad pledged support to the Sudanese government until it was able to overcome what he described as the “ordeal”.
(ST)