[wvns] Sudanese Companies Decry US Sanctions
"How can we solve Darfur by ending the work of those in the Sugar
industry?" Osman asks.
Sudanese Companies Decry US Sanctions
By Ismail Kamal Kushkush, IOL Correspondent
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1190886068188&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout
KHARTOUM — Sudanese companies affected by American economic sanctions
complain of being punished for a crime they never committed.
"This has nothing to do with Darfur," insists Farouk Osman, the
technical manager of the Sudanese Sugar Company.
"This is food stuff for the poor. Sugar is the cheapest source of
carbohydrates for the poor. Why do they sanction such a company?"
The company, which deals with the cultivation and processing of sugar
cane, is one of thirty-one companies of various specializations barred
from the US financial system.
US President George Bush announced the new package of sanctions in
late May as part of efforts to pile up pressures on Khartoum to solve
the Darfur conflict, raging since 2003.
The sanctioned companies, which are mostly public-owned, include
companies that provide food and medicine.
Osman admits that his company depends on American technology for some
of the cane loading equipment.
"We are trying to manufacture all the sugar cane processing equipment
here."
He does not buy the American argument that the sanctions would help
solve the Darfur crisis.
"There are many Darfuris working here. How can we solve Darfur by
ending the work of those in the Sugar industry?" Osman asks.
"We think that this is a war on Sudan's economy because this is an
important economic sector."
Medicine
One of the sanctioned companies is WafraPharma, the only public-owned
pharmaceutical company in Sudan.
"We are working in a humanitarian area for the production of essential
drugs to help poor people," insists Dr. Abdalla Gargar, the company's
general manager.
"We were astonished!"
WafraPharma, according to Gargar, focuses on the production of
anti-malarial, anti-diarrhea and anti-biotical drugs.
He maintains that these "essential drugs" are prescribed and
recommended by the World Health Organization for poor third world
countries.
"WHO sends inspectors from time to time to make sure of our compliance
with good manufacturing standards."
In addition to manufacturing inexpensive pharmaceuticals, WafraPharma
also maintains small stocks of medicine for emergency crisis, such as
Darfur and the recent floods that hit eastern and central Sudan.
"We have just completed our program for circulating pharmaceuticals
for Darfur and other provinces," says Gargar.
Less Effective
"We are doing nothing illegal. We are only a pharmaceutical plant,"
insists Dr. Gargar.
Gargar does not think that the American sanctions will have a direct
impact, because most of WafraPharma's raw material and machinery is
not from the US, but from Europe.
"If sanctions are expanded to Europe it will create a problem. We are
not going to wait for the axe to fall on our head."
The fear of Europe joining the US in its sanctions gained more
credence after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French
President Nicolas Sarkozy threatened on August 31 of "toughening
sanctions" if no progress was made on Darfur.
Gargar he has already begun contacting suppliers in Europe to avoid
any future problems.
"You have seen our premises. We are doing nothing illegal. We are only
a pharmaceutical plant," is what Gargar intends to explain to his
European suppliers.
`Abd al-Latif al-Buni, a political columnist with the widely-read
Al-Rai' Al-`Aam newspaper, does not think that the sanctions will have
a great direct impact.
"The US left Sudan gradually since 1983, politically and economically,
that is why it will not have a serious impact because there are no
relations."
Khartoum has already agreed to the deployment of a UN-African Union
hybrid-force, scheduled to replace the 7000-strong African
peacekeeping mission in Darfur on December 31.
Despite this political arrangement, the US has not indicated if it
will lift sanctions against Sudan.
In addition to the new package of sanctions, Washington maintains an
earlier set of economic sanctions slapped against Sudan in 1997 on the
ground of sponsoring terrorism.
Affecting Investments
Al-Buni, the political columnist, makes the point that the declaration
of sanctions may have an indirect effect.
"This is an image issue. When the US says it boycotts a county…even
some Arab countries may become reserved [to invest in Sudan]."
Dr. Abu al-Qasim Abu al-Nur, a professor of economics at the
University of Khartoum, believes the sanctions impact depends on
various factors.
While Sudan's trade with the US is "insignificant" he argues, the move
may have an impact on the investment environment.
"Since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) [which
ended civil war in South Sudan] there has been a flow of foreign
investment. This might be affected by the sanctions."
Ahmed El-Fadol, a 40-year-old businessman from Khartoum, believes that
sanctions will not help the Darfur issue.
"The US always uses a policy of arm-twisting," he says.
"The only way to solve the Darfur crisis is through dialog and
diplomatic work."
Ahmed Fethi, 56, a bank employee, agrees.
"We want a solution for Darfur and peace for its people, but not out
of the fear of sanctions."
* Isma'il Kamal Kushkush is a Sudanese-American freelance writer
currently based in Khartoum, Sudan.
===
Sudanese defense minister says '24 Jewish organizations fueling
conflict in Darfur'
Sudan: Jews behind Darfur conflict
Yaakov Lappin
07.29.07, 20:29
Israel News
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3431281,00.html
Sudan's defense minister, Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein, has
accused "24 Jewish organizations" of "fueling the conflict in Darfur"
last week in an interview with a Saudi newspaper.
Hussein was interviewed during an official state visit to the Saudi
kingdom last week.
Darfur Crisis
A journalist from Saudi Arabia's Okaz newspaper asked Hussein: "Some
people are talking about the penetration of Jewish organizations in
Darfur and that there is no conflict there?"
"The Darfur issue is being fuelled by 24 Jewish organizations, who
are making the largest amount of noise over the issue, and using the
Holocaust in their campaigning," the Sudanese defense minister
replied.
Hussein added that the Darfur conflict was driven by "friction
between farmers and herders and shepherds. Among the biggest problems
is that of water, which is used to exploit the differences and fuel
the conflict."
"Are these Jewish groups supporting (the rebels) financially?," the
interviewer from Okaz asked Hussein.
"Yes, they provide political and material support through their
control over the media and across American and British circles,"
Hussein said, adding that Jewish groups were using "all means to fuel
these conflicts."
He added that Western reports of 200,000 people dying in Sudan were
false, and said: "We talk about 9,000 dead as a result of either
government or rebel actions."
'We came to Israel to look for a better place'
Several days ago, Sudan's Interior Minister, Zubair Bashir Taha,
lashed out at Sudanese refuees who had sought asylum in Israel, and
accused "Isaeli authorities of encouraging the Sudanese refugees to
come to their country."
He added that his ministry was "very confused" by Sudanese citizens
who came to Israel."
The Sudan Tribune quoted a Sudanese refugee as telling al-Jazeera
television: "We were surprised when we came here. We met good people,
who welcomed us and gave us food. We feel that we are extremely
happy. We hope that the Israeli government would find a solution for
us and our children. We came here to look for a better place."
Meanwhile, in the US, a number of Jewish organizations have attempted
to raise awareness over the plight of Sudanese citizens who face mass
killings and ethnic cleansing from the Sudanese government. Some 20
Jewish organizations joined the 'Save Darfur Coalition,' along with
other religious communities and American civil rights groups.
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