UN S-G Guterres urges USA to remove Sudan from terror list

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, on Saturday called on the USA to remove Sudan from the list of States Sponsors of Terrorism.

Speaking to reporters on the side lines of the 33rd Session of the African Union Summit which started in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa yesterday, Guterres stressed the importance of finding international mechanisms to cooperate with Africa to face extension terrorism in Africa.

Guterres stressed that “the UN and all its agencies support development and prosperity for Africa,” indicating the urgent need for African forces to combat terrorism and strengthen peace and security under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.

The UN Secretary-Generals reiterated his appeal today in his address to the opening sitting of the AU summit. Guterres said developments have occurred in Sudan and the two governing councils working closely for achieving peace and stability in the country requires removing the name of Sudan from the US terror list to support the country to emerge from its crises.

The official Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reports that Guterres also held a meeting with Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok on the margins of the AU Summit.

The Guterres and Hamdok discussed Sudan’s ongoing political transition, the peace process, and the transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding in Darfur. The Secretary-General commended Hamdok for the ongoing reform efforts and pledged the full support of the United Nations to Sudan.

Today, PM Hamdouk met with presidents of the Group Six African countries, which includes Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Madagascar.

The Prime Minister also met with the Chadian President, Idris Deby.

In a press statement to SUNA, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Omer Gamaredin, said that "the meeting has affirmed firmness of the relations between the two sister countries".

He said that Hamdok has referred to the possibility of the Chadian President's support to the ongoing peace negotiations in Juba, based on his relations with some of the Sudanese armed struggle movements which are participating in the negotiations.

He indicated that the meeting also reviewed ways of bolstering the relations between Sudan and Chad in the future and asserted the importance of coordination between the two countries at the international and regional forums.

Gamaredin said that Hamdok congratulated Deby on the success of his chairmanship to the African Review Mechanism.

The Prime Minister also met with President of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou and discussed  issue of  the free trade zone within context of the group’s concern  with  trade liberation.

AU Commission

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki has called the international community and the United States in particular to assist Sudan to achieve peace.

Faki, who was addressing the inaugural sitting of the 33rd session of AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sunday , said the ongoing developments in Sudan proves the principle of capability of Africans to solve their own problems.

 He pointed out that the government of Sudan is working on completion of state institutions and achievement of stability  and peace in the country by engagement in serious peace process with the armed opposition movements in the country, which , he added, would be an example for Africans’ ability to solve their problems themselves.