Sudan's Relations With the West Witnessing Major Shift

Nafie Ali Nafie, representative of the Sudan Government is visiting Japan to seek greater economic cooperation between the two nations., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

SATURDAY 14 DECEMBER 2013

Sudan’s relations with the West witnessing major shift: NCP

December 13, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party leading figure Nafie Ali Nafie has said that western countries would cooperate with his country in accordance with Khartoum’s vision to the nature of the relations.

Nafie, who addressed the Sudanese community in Pakistan on Thursday, said that Sudan’s foreign relations is witnessing a major shift particularly with the western nations and the United States adding that all attempts to dissuade Khartoum from its declared positions have failed.

He added that western countries began to adopt new approach towards Sudan because they stuck to their ideology, policies, and economic vision and didn’t succumb to threats or temptations.

Nafie further welcomed cooperation which serves Sudan’s national interests, adding that the Sudanese government engaged in dialogue with several western countries including the US.

Washington imposed economic and trade sanctions on Sudan in 1997 in response to its alleged connection to terror networks and human rights abuses. In 2007, it strengthened the embargo, citing abuses in Darfur which it says constitutes genocide.

Sudan has also been on the US list of states that sponsor terrorism since 1993, even though the two countries have strengthened their counter-terrorism cooperation since the September 2001 attacks on Washington and New York.

The Sudanese government informed the US special envoy Donald Booth appointed last August that any talks have to focus on normalizing ties or else they have no interest in receiving him.

Meanwhile, the NCP and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have agreed to strengthen ties and exchange expertise to serve the interests of both nations.

Nafie told the pro-government Ashorooq TV that the meeting of the two parties discussed Sudan’s role in the region and its impact on the political, economic, and social domains, adding that they briefed the PPP on the role played by the NCP in founding the Council of African Political Parties (CAPP).

He pointed that the PPP expressed willingness to send a delegation to Sudan to hold further meetings and consultations with the NCP.

The Arab parliament speaker, Ahmed bin Mohammed Al- Jarwan, told Ashorooq TV following his meeting with Nafie that the parliament is ready to exert all efforts towards rapprochement among Arab people.

He said that the Arab parliament supports Sudan’s government efforts to achieve peace and to open channels of dialogue with the arms bearers in order to arrive at an agreement to lift the country out of its current crisis, praising signs of peace, security, and stability in Darfur following a 10-year conflict.

The deputy speaker of Sudan’s parliament, Issa Bashari, who attended the meeting, said they also discussed the role of Sudan’s parliament and CAPP in strengthening ties between the Arab parliament and the African parliament.

Nafie, who was a former presidential assistant, lost his posts in the government and the NCP leadership in the cabinet reshuffle which was announced last week.