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Sudan Tribune

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Sudan calls to ease tensions between Qatar and Gulf countries

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz (R) receives Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani upon his arrival in Riyadh to attend the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit on May 5, 2015. (AFP Photo)
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz (R) receives Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani upon his arrival in Riyadh to attend the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit on May 5, 2015. (AFP Photo)

June 5, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan has called for easing tensions between several Gulf and Arab countries and Qatar, while President Omer al-Bashir backed Kuwaiti efforts to mediate a negotiated settlement to overcome the dispute.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Libya’s eastern-based government severed diplomatic ties with Qatar and closed land, sea and air links with Doha.

Qatar is accused of supporting Islamist groups particularly the Muslim Brotherhood which are considered by several countries as a dangerous political enemy if not terrorist groups.

The Gulf News on its editorial of 25 May said the “Emir of Qatar, Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, during a military ceremony on Tuesday (23 May), in which he appeared to defy not only the official GCC policies on most critical issues, particularly Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah”.

Also, the Saudi news agency SPA has said on Monday that “(Qatar) embraces multiple terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at disturbing stability in the region, including the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS (Islamic State) and al-Qaeda, and promotes the message and schemes of these groups through their media constantly”.

“Sudan calls for refraining from escalation and to overcome differences with wisdom, and keenness to the interests of the countries and peoples of the Arab nation,” said a written statement released by the foreign ministry in Khartoum.

The foreign ministry further expressed Sudan readiness to exert efforts with the other brother countries to stop escalation and to reconcile between Qatar and the other six Arab countries.

On Monday night, the official news agency SUNA reported that al-Bashir discussed the rift with the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

“The Emir of Kuwait assured President al-Bashir that he would leave for Saudi Arabia to meet the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud and would try to contain the crisis with the State of Qatar and try to arrange the Arab House to ward off the dangers surrounding the Arab and Islamic world,” said the agency.

Al-Sabah on Monday urged Qatar’s Tamim in a phone call to refrain from escalating tensions with the other Gulf states and to give efforts at mediation a chance to contain differences.

The Kuwait’s emir “expressed his wish” that Qatari ruler “work on easing tensions and refrain from taking any decision that might cause escalation”, said KUNA the official Kuwait state news agency.

Sudan has strong relations with Qatar which brokered a mediation to end Darfur conflict. Doha also backed Khartoum financially to overcome its financial crisis after the secession of South Sudan.

Since Last year Khartoum, also, participates in the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen.

(ST)

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