August 23, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and visiting Qatari diplomat Mutlaq Al Qahtani discussed the Juba process for peace in Sudan on Sunday.

According to the official Sudan News Agency (SUNA), the meeting was attended by the Sudanese Foreign Minister Omer Gamar Eldin and the Cabinet Minister Omer Monis.

"The Qatari envoy conveyed to the Prime Minister the greetings of the Qatari leadership" and discussed with him the progress of the talks hosted by South Sudan government, said SUNA.

For its part, the Qatari News Agency (QNA) said the meeting discussed bilateral cooperation and Qatar support to the peace process in Sudan.

The Qatari government has begun implementing a development programme in support of the peace agreements signed under the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur particularly to support the return of displaced people and refugees.

The official news agency said Hamdok "expressed his thanks and greetings to the sisterly State of Qatar", and thanked the Qatari envoy for the visit, which "would strengthen the bonds of friendship and brotherhood between the two brotherly countries".

Qatar had been blamed during the first months of the revolution of supporting the former regime of Omer al-Bashir.

Recently, several commentators wrote about Qatar’s position from the former regime to explain that Doha contributed to its collapse, further they blamed Hamdok government for not responding to the Qatari efforts to support his government.

QNA reported that Al Qahtani met also with the head of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to discuss bilateral cooperation between the two countries and peace process.

Hemetti who leads the government negotiating delegation had already met with the Qatari diplomat in Juba on Saturday.

(ST)