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October 16, 2010 (DOHA) — A presidential adviser on Saturday said that recent remarks by US President in support of South Sudan independence is a result of pressures by pro-Israel lobby groups who are pushing for Sudan’s partition.
- US President Barack Obama speaks during a live, commercial free youth Town Hall on Viacom?s BET, CMT and MTV networks at the BET Studios in Washington, DC, on October 14, 2010 (AFP)
"At the outset, the United States was saying it wants Sudan to remain united, then it moved a little to say that what it will accept whatever the southerners want, and today it raises its voice saying that secession will be inevitable," said Mustafa Osman Ismail, an adviser to President Omer Al-Bashir..
"This shows that there are US pressure lobbies linked to Israel talking and pushing things in this direction," he added.
The Sudanese official also blasted Obama over his statements on possible bloodshed if the southern Sudan referendum is postponed. Ismail said that pro-Israel lobby groups are providing him with false reports.
On Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama said that Sudan is one of his "highest priorities".
"This is a dangerous area. The last time there was a war between north and south, 2 million people were killed. And so right now what we’re trying to do is organize a referendum where the south in a peaceful, legal fashion could decide to break off and form their own nation separate from what is currently all of Sudan. We’ve only got about 90 days to get this done," he added.
"But it’s something that we all have to pay attention to, because if you have an outbreak of war between the north and south in Sudan, not only could that erupt in more violence that could lead to millions of deaths, but solving the problem in Darfur becomes that much more difficult, because Khartoum, the seat of government for northern Sudan, could end up feeling more threatened and not being willing to deal with some of the continuing violence that exists in western Sudan and Darfur,".
Ismail, who is a former foreign affairs minister, was speaking to the press from Doha where he delivered an invitation to the Qatari government to participate in a donor conference for eastern Sudan. He also met with the business community to encourage them to invest in Sudan.
Speaking about the position of southern Sudanese political forces, he said the Sudan People Liberation (SPLM) through its chairman are supporting the independence but other parties are divided.
He expressed regret that unionists are voiceless and not allowed to express their point of view in the South and asserted that the African continent, except Uganda, supports the unity of the country.
Southerners are expected to vote on January 9 on whether they want to remain part of the united Sudan or declare their independence.
Today speaking in Marrakesh, Morocco, Ban Ki-Moon called on the world to help Sudanese to find a peaceful "way through one of the most important passages in their country’s history."
"I think everyone is very much concerned about the future of Sudan, the future of Africa, and the peace and security of the international community as a whole," he stressed.
(ST)
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