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Sudan: US did not ask Bashir to quit to improve relations

December 16, 2017 at 2:45 pm

Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir in Khartoum, Sudan on 9 April, 2017 [Ebrahim Hamid/Anadolu Agency]

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour yesterday denied reports that the US had conditioned that Omar Al-Bashir should quit as president in return for normalising ties between the two countries, Rai Al-Youm reported.

In an interview with the London-based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Ghandour said that the US did not put conditions on the normalisation of ties. “There was not a hint about the President Al-Bashir; otherwise, we would have refused.”

Al-Bashir is the president of Sudan and others must speak about him with all the necessary respect.

Following the November visit of the Deputy US Secretary of State John Sullivan to Sudan, activists claimed that he had requested Al-Bashir step down as a condition to normalise ties with Washington.

Read: ICC refers Jordan to UNSC for failure to arrest Sudan’s Al-Bashir

Regarding reports that Al-Bashir had requested Russian protection from American aggression, Ghandour said: “Al-Bashir is a Military General and took part in protecting Sudan during the civil war in the South. He is an experienced and courageous president so it is impossible he requested military protection.”

Regarding whether Al-Bashir is planning to run for president in 2020, Ghandour said: “President Al-Bashir announced he would not run for presidency several times, but there is a clear popular desire, even faction calls, for him to run in the elections.”

“Speaking about running or not two years before the elections will destabilise the political situation.”