Sudanese President: We won't let our land be exploited against Saudi Arabia

Bashir: We won’t let our land be exploited against Saudi Arabia
Saudi Gazette – 07 February, 2017
http://www.gulfinthemedia.com/index.php?id=794565&news_type=Top&lang=en

In an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya’s General Manager Turki Aldakhil,
Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir discussed Sudan’s participation in the
Decisive Storm Operation in Yemen and Iran’s activity in the region.

“We in Sudan feel that the situation in Yemen poses a threat to us,” he
said.

Once the Decisive Storm Operation was declared, Sudan immediately joined
forces through a number of military aircraft and Sudanese troops present on
the ground in Aden, the president said.

Iranian ambitions

On Iran and its activity in the region, Bashir said Saudi Arabia had
information about carrying out certain activities against the Kingdom from
Sudan.

“We’ve always confirmed that we will not allow our land to be exploited
against the Kingdom,” he said, adding that the Iranian activity in Sudan
created some sort of sensitivity.

“In the end, we were convinced that this activity must be stopped,” Bashir
said.

Bashir accused the Americans of establishing a Shiite state in Iraq after
the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime and thus helping Iran to expand.
“This gave Iran control over four Arab capitals — Damascus, Beirut, Baghdad
and Sanaa,” he said.

“Is this the end of Iran’s ambitions or does it have other aims? I think
Tehran has other aims,” Bashir added.

Hala’ib Triangle land dispute

On relations with Egypt and the dispute over the Hala’ib land, Bashir
reiterated that the land was Sudanese. “The Hala’ib triangle is Sudanese,”
Bashir said, noting that when elections were first held during the joint
British-Egyptian governance, Hala’ib was one of the Sudanese districts that
took part in the elections. “Elections are a major sovereign practice,” he
added.

On how Sudan will address the dispute with Egypt, Bashir asserted that they
will resort to the UN Security Council if the Egyptians refuse to negotiate
over the matter.

Relationship with Egypt’s Brotherhood

Commenting on allegations that Sudan embraced the leaders of Egypt’s Muslim
Brotherhood, Bashir said that they were false as Sudan does not protect any
hostile activity against any state.

“We did not harbor any Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Sudan because our
policy is against sheltering any hostile activities against any country,”
Bashir said. Bashir added that the personal relationship with his Egyptian
counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is “very special”.

“Sisi is honest in his relations but this does not mean there aren’t
unresolved issues,” he said, noting however that “the problem is not with
President Sisi but with the regime as there are Sudanese opposition figures
that the Egyptian intelligence supports.”

The Sudanese president added that every time Sudanese officials meet with
Egyptian officials, they ask the latter to stop supporting Sudanese
opposition.

American sanctions

On the American sanctions against Sudan, Bashir said the curbs included
banks and stock companies, adding that at some point all European banks
halted dealing with Sudan due to American pressure.

Bashir also addressed American President Donald Trump’s recent decision to
ban the citizens of seven countries, which includes Sudan, from entering the
US.

“There is a roadmap between us and the US and it includes five topics. The
first one is terrorism. What the Americans confirmed is that work related to
this topic has been 100 percent complete but Sudan’s name is still on the
list of countries sponsoring terrorism,” he said, adding that the decision
to remove it from the list must be made by the American Congress.

Struggle over succession

Bashir, who said he will step down in 2020, said Sudan is governed by the
constitution adopted in 2005. “The constitution limited presidential terms
to two, and I am now serving the second term,” he said.

Commenting on competition over the post, Bashir said: “There may be
competitors over the post of the head of the National Congress Party. The
party holds preliminary elections and we have a mechanism to choose the head
of the party and he will be the party’s candidate for the presidency,” and
denied that there is ‘fierce’ competition within his party.