Africa

October 14, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's foreign minister will travel to Ndjamena and Bangui on Monday to discuss his government efforts to settle the armed conflict in the neighbouring Central African Republic.

Last month in a meeting held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the African Union integrated the Sudanese initiative to end the armed conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR) between Muslim and Christian militias that continue to destabilize the country despite the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Sudanese foreign ministry said Minister El-Dirdeiry Ahmed will hand over a message from President Omer al-Bashir to President Idriss Deby of Chad and President Faustin-Archange Touadéra of CAR.

The Sudanese initiative, which involves Russia also, provides to bring together the leaders of the warring armed groups to discuss ways to end the conflict and build confidence between the different communities in the country in order to repair social fabric.

The African Union has its African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation, however, the mediators failed to bring the armed groups together.

Last August, the Sudanese government hosted a meeting including the main armed groups, the Christian anti-Balaka militia of Maxime Mokom and Muslim Seleka armed faction led Noureddine Adam.

At the end of the two-day meeting on 29 August, the two groups signed a framework agreement pledging to cease hostilities and to not obstruct free movement of persons and goods with the neighbouring countries and committed themselves to the African Union process for peace and reconciliation in CAR.

Khartoum counts on Chad which has good relations with the Seleka militia group to support its efforts to achieve peace in the landlocked country which has growing commercial relations with Sudan.

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October 14, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The U. S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs, Alan Patterson, has expressed his country's desire to establish strategic relations with Sudan.

On Friday, Patterson discussed with the visiting Sudanese Army's Chief of General Staff Kamal Abdel-Marouf issues of common concern besides the regional situation and ongoing arrangements to launch the second phase of dialogue between the two countries.

According to Ashorooq TV, the U.S. official praised Sudan's efforts to achieving security, peace and stability in the region, pointing to its cooperation with neighbouring countries in this regard.

He expressed his country's desire to forge strategic ties with Sudan, pointing to the latter's resources and wealth besides its important geo-strategic position in the African continent.

The U.S. official also mentioned Sudan's efforts to combating cross-border crime, human trafficking and illegal migration, renewing his country's support to these efforts in the prelude to lifting the East African nation's name from the U.S. list of states sponsors of terrorism.

In October 2017, the U.S. Administration permanently lifted 20-year-old economic sanctions against Sudan citing positive actions on humanitarian access and counter-terrorism.

Khartoum, accordingly, authorized humanitarian access to civilians in Darfur and unilaterally declared a cessation of hostilities in Darfur, the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

However, Washington left other sanctions in place for the time being, including those against individuals with arrest warrants related to atrocities committed during the conflict in Darfur.

Further, it didn't remove Sudan's name from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

The two countries are engaged in a five-track process towards full normalization of relations.

The process includes the fight against terrorism, Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Sudan's role in the peace process in South Sudan, Sudan's peace and the humanitarian situation in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

Last month, Foreign Minister El-Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed met the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan in New York on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The two sides agreed to resume talks on the normalization of bilateral talks and the lift of remaining sanctions particularly Sudan's designation as a state sponsor of terrorist groups. The measure is crucial to get a debt relief and allow Sudan to get international aid to build its economic infrastructure.

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