A visit to Sudan. The first of its kind from a top French diplomat in more than a decade. At a press conference in Khartoum, the head of the Quai d'Orsay, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said Monday, September 16, that Paris would press for the withdrawal of this country from the US blacklist supporting terrorism ".
The Foreign Minister also pleaded for the reintegration of Sudan to the international community. This official move comes as the country entered a period of transition, after decades of authoritarianism under Omar al-Bashir, dismissed by the army on April 11 under popular pressure.
"We will use our influence to remove Sudan from this list," said the French minister at a press conference with his counterpart Asma Mohamed Abdallah, the first woman to hold this position in the country's history. .
"The commitments made, the way the army perceived its role during this period, all this goes in the direction of an exit of Sudan from this list," he replied to a question from AFP on the subject. An approach that aims to allow "a new relationship (Sudan) with financial institutions (...)", he argued.
"We have decided to commit 60 million euros, 15 million of them very quickly, to help the transformation of Sudan and its peaceful revolution," he said.
"This is a significant amount of aid, and the visit itself of a minister from a country as influential as France is a mark of moral support for the Sudanese people who led this revolution and triumphed ", says France 24 Salahedin al-Douma, Sudanese expert on international relations.
Economy kneeling
The listing of Sudan for decades on this list and the US sanctions imposed for 20 years (1997-2017) have isolated this country and suffocated its economy. The dispute that led to the dismissal of Omar al-Bashir was triggered in December 2018 by the tripling of the price of bread.
Washington had accused Khartoum of violating human rights, including in Darfur, and supporting jihadist groups: Al-Qaeda's founder, Osama bin Laden, lived in the Sudanese capital between 1992 and 1996.
Jean-Yves Le Drian also met with Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, head of the Sovereign Council, a body composed of both civilians and soldiers, the fruit of a hard-won agreement between the army and the challenge of the transition period.
"The Sudanese expect France and the international community to put pressure on the military council and its regional support so that it allows the government that represents the aspirations of the people to implement its policy," Salahedin said. Duma.
The head of French diplomacy also reiterated France's support to Khartoum in the face of the challenges ahead: rebuilding a moribund economy and concluding peace agreements with rebel groups in the conflict zones of Darfur and South Kordofan states. and Blue Nile.
With AFP and Reuters