UAE says its financial support aimed at helping Sudanese to overcome economic difficulties
June 18, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The Arab United Emirates (UAE) Ambassador in Khartoum said that the support offered by his country aimed at supporting Sudanese to overcome the tough economic situation their country has been experiencing, said the opposition Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have granted Sudan $3 billion ten days after the collapse of the regime of the former President Omer al-Bashir. The grant provides to deposit 500 million dollars in the central bank of Sudan by the two countries while the rest will be in the form of food, medicine, and petroleum products.
However, the support was perceived as direct support to the military council that has taken over power following more than four-month protests in the country.
To dissipate this misunderstanding, the Saudi Ambassador in Khartoum last May convened a meeting with the SPA foreign relations committee to explain the purpose of the grant.
Following a meeting with UAE ambassador, the group which has spearheaded the protests for a democratic regime in Sudan said they warned against the risk of foreign intervention to support any party in the political process against the other.
Recently the military council escalated its pressure on the opposition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) seeking to take advantage of the raid against the sit-in area even if they deny having ordered the attack.
As the FFC refuse to give them the Transitional Sovereign Council the military council has threatened to hold elections and to form a caretaker government.
During the meeting, the Emirati diplomat said his country will support any agreement the two sides conclude and will not interfere in a way or another in the discussions.
“He explained that the support provided by the UAE is to help the Sudanese people to overcome the current economic difficulties rather than siding with one side against the other,” said the SPA.
In a related development, an FFC delegation met with Egyptian diplomats in Khartoum to brief them n the opposition demands before the resumption of talks with the military council.
The SPA which took part in the meeting said the Egyptian embassy told them they want to know the FFC position because Egypt which chairs the African Union this year will include it in its report to a follow-up meeting of African foreign ministers after a meeting on Sudan held in Cairo last April.
Last April, the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi convened a meeting of the leaders of the countries member of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council. The meeting recommended to give Sudanese militaries an additional three month period but to council gave only a two-month delay.
(ST)