Washington: No external solutions will be imposed on Sudan

The Special Assistant of the US President and Senior Director for African Affairs of the National Security Council, Cyril Sartor, said on Monday that “no external solutions will be imposed on Sudan.”

This came during his meeting with the Sudanese Assistant President Faisal Hassan Ibrahim Ali, at the presidential palace in Khartoum, according to a statement issued by the Sudanese presidency, which was seen by Anadolu Agency.

Sartor explained that Sudan is going through changes and a transitional phase. However, he stressed on the importance of “the Sudanese government’s respect of the citizens’ right to peaceful expression, while demanding at the same time the other side to abide by the same peaceful commitment.”

Sartor added: “With more patience, the government will be able to find a political solution, and no external solutions will be imposed on Sudan.”

Since 19 December 2018, Sudanese cities have been witnessing protests against the increasing prices and demanding the ousting of President Omar Al-Bashir. The protests have been accompanied by violent activities that caused the death of 31 people, according to recent government statistics, while Amnesty International said, last Monday, that the number of casualties reached 51.

However, those protests have been decreasing in recent days.

Read: Sudan lawmakers postpone amendment to keep Bashir in power

The Sudanese president stressed that the government would not change by the protests, but through the elections, while his government expressed its understanding of the young people’s economic demands, which it described as “legitimate”, and promised to work to provide them with solutions.

In a related context, the US official noted that his meeting with the Sudanese Assistant President was fruitful and constructive and it enables the two sides to continue the dialogue and put it on the right track, leading to the removal of the name of Sudan from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism soon.

Sartor continued: “Through joint action, the two countries will find their way to a strong partnership.”

For his part, the Sudanese Assistant President pointed out to his country’s commitment to dialogue with the United States on all issues of common concerns.

Assistant of the US President arrived in Sudan on Monday accompanied with the Director of African Affairs at the National Security Council, Darren Seraile, for a two-day official visit to Khartoum.

On 6 October 2017, the US Administration of President Donald Trump lifted economic sanctions and a trade embargo that has been imposed on Sudan since 1997.

However, Washington has not removed Sudan from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, on which it has been listed since 1993, for hosting the late Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.