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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 April - 3 May 2000 Issue No. 479 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 April - 3 May 2000 Issue No. 479
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters One fell swoop
By Mohamed KhaledIn a move that analysts saw as an attempt by President Omar Al-Bashir to confirm his grip on power, presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in Sudan in October. Al-Bashir dissolved parliament and declared a state of emergency in December, claiming he wanted to end "duality in decision-making" in Sudan. The measures were aimed mainly at curbing the powers of Sudanese Parliament Speaker Hassan Al-Turabi, a former ally of President Al-Bashir whom most observers refer to as the actual ruler of Sudan.
At the Constitutional Court, Al-Turabi's supporters contested Al-Bashir's decision to dissolve parliament but the case was thrown out.
Al-Turabi's exclusion, meanwhile, allowed Al-Bashir to improve Khartoum's relations with its neighbours, mainly because Al-Turabi is seen as the ideologue behind Sudan's Islamist orientation and its alleged support for militant groups seeking to overthrow governments in several Arab and African countries. Al-Bashir also eased restrictions on political activity in an attempt to improve relations with opposition parties and gain their confidence.
Yet, most Sudanese opposition groups strongly objected to Al-Bashir's decision to hold elections, saying agreement must first be reached on guarantees for fair elections and the restoration of democracy. Holding elections in October, opposition groups claim, would only strengthen Al-Bashir's grip on power and confirm him as the sole ruler of Sudan.
The decision to hold elections in Sudan came two days after the United States announced it would reopen its embassy in Khartoum following a two-year freeze. A US envoy to Sudan, Harry Johnston, visited Khartoum nearly two months ago, a move which probably paved the way for the reopening. The move meant a major policy shift for Washington which had refused to deal with Sudan and which, in 1996, added its name to the list of countries accused of sponsoring terrorism. The embassy will also resume consular services following a four-year hiatus.
A US officer returned to Khartoum last week and took up his post as chargé d'affairs, Sudanese newspapers reported. Another US diplomat identified as Donald Mulligan, currently based in Cairo, was also expected to become the embassy's consul this week.
The Sudanese News Agency (SUNA) said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Khartoum had issued entry visas to the chargé d'affairs and the consul as well as to an administrative officer to discharge diplomatic and administrative functions at the embassy.
The United States closed its embassy in Sudan in 1998 amid fears of terrorist attacks following the bombing of its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. After Washington claimed that Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden was responsible for the embassy attacks, US warplanes bombed a pharmaceutical factory which bin Laden allegedly owned in Khartoum.
At the height of his influence, Al-Turabi had turned his country into a haven for Islamist militants from all over the world. They included bin Laden. But facing US pressure, bin Laden secretly left Sudan for Afghanistan in the early 1990s.
Subsequently, all American full-time staff members were moved to Cairo and Nairobi while a few local staff remained in the embassy. "Since that time, the embassy has never been closed but there was no permanent presence of US staff in the embassy," a spokesman for the US embassy in Cairo told Al-Ahram Weekly. "Instead, there was a short-term presence on a rotating basis among the diplomats stationed in Cairo and Nairobi," the spokesman said.
However, the US embassy spokesman in Cairo said American diplomats in Khartoum "will be rotated to ensure a better presence."
According to the spokesman, the resumption of operations and the presence of diplomats for longer periods are dictated by the need to run the consulate section and to have staffers look after the affairs of US citizens in Sudan.
For the past several years, Sudanese citizens who wished to visit the United States had to first go to Cairo to process their entry visas to the US. After the US embassy reopens, this process, including submitting applications and conducting interviews, will take place in Khartoum. But according to the spokesman, potential travellers must still go to Egypt since the final decision for issuing a visa will be taken in Cairo.
