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Dubai: Zionism and imperial powers are to be blamed for the problems in Sudan's south and Darfur, says Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Bashir, who was visiting the UAE this week.
Addressing a press conference in Dubai, Al Bashir said the Sudanese delegation to the UAE has discussed ways to increase investments in his country.
"The coming months will see a surge in UAE investments in Sudan," he announced. He said the UAE is the second largest investor in Sudan, after China, with Dh7 billion invested in different sectors.
Al Bashir said he will take part in the Arab Summit to be held in Damascus by the end of the month because of the need for "Arab solidarity at this stage".
"We believe Lebanon should not stay without a president and Sudan has been working hard with different Lebanese leaders to resolve the political standstill. It seems the solution might need more time to ripen. We think Lebanon can be represented in Damascus through its legitimate government, even if the political factions fail to agree on a government formula to resolve the issue before the summit," he said.
Al Bashir said the imperial efforts to isolate Sudan did not work because his country can offer lucrative business opportunities to investors from all over the world, adding that China has been investing heavily in Sudan and it did not bow to the pressure from some international powers to desert the country.
Asked why he thinks Zionism and imperial powers, which he did not name, are conspiring to undermine Sudan's regime, Al Bashir said Sudan has been targeted because of its Arab and Islamic identity and for its location, which represents a bridge between Africa and the Islamic world.
"Arabs and Muslims are targeted by Zionists and imperial powers everywhere in the world. Sudan is at the forefront of the confrontation," he said.
He said there was no change in China's position towards his country and Chinese officials who visited Sudan in the recent months have reassured their counterparts that there was no change in their support to Sudan.
The fate of Sudan's south was still undecided and it will be resolved through a referendum, said Al Bashir. "I hope the south will remain united with Sudan but we have to remember that the other option is still there," he said.
"We have tried to retain the unity of Sudan through fighting rebels in the south. Sudanese fought each other for 37 years. The first round started when Sudan was still under the British rule in 1955," he said.
Occupation
"The history of the war between the north and the south is evidence of colonial responsibilities in the war. The conflict first started in 1955 when British forces were in Sudan and not by the current government. Those who blame the government of Sudan for marginalising people in the south must remember that British are the one who marginalised all Sudanese, in the north and the south, during their occupation of the country. They are the ones who sowed the plant of conflict in Sudan," he added.
He said the current campaign against Sudan is a cover-up of the genocides in both Iraq and Palestine. "Darfur is a symbol of Western double standard. There are no more than 10,000 people killed in Darfur while the number of displaced people is no more than 450,000 people. Compare with Iraq, which has 1 million people killed and 5 million displaced. In Darfur, our forced help displaced Sudanese while fighting rebels, which any government in the world would do," he said.
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