By Dennis Otim

18^th February 2013:

Tough: Gen Omar Bashir

The official Spokesman of Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) Mr Badr al-Deen Ibrahim has declared that as far as Sudan is concerned, “…Uganda is now classified as an enemy state, adding that they have no mutual interests with Kampala.”

In a statement published in The Sudan Tribune newspaper last week, Ibrahim also said Uganda is not home to a large number of Sudanese and as such any move to downgrade diplomatic relations would not impact their citizens living there.

“…Even if a community of Sudanese exists [in Uganda] their status will be arranged in accordance with diplomatic norms,” the NCP official said.  He also said that his government may soon ask Kampala to slash the diplomatic staff at its embassy in Khartoum.

The ties between the two countries have reached a low point particularly after several Sudanese opposition parties and rebel groups signed a joint charter in Kampala last month calling for the overthrow of the Khartoum government.

Sudan has lodged complaints with several regional organisations to protest against Uganda’s hosting of anti-Khartoum groups.  This month Sudan voiced its objection to electing Uganda to a position at the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) commission office during a summit in Cairo.

Ugandan officials on the other hand continue to accuse Sudan of harbouring the notorious Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group, which has been forced out of northern Uganda.

Some reports have claimed that the Sudanese government continue to back the group, which it used as a proxy to fight southern rebels in the civil war that led to South Sudan’s independence.  During that conflict, Uganda was a strong ally of the former southern rebels who have now governed the Republic of South South since 2011.

Uganda’s president has infuriated Sudanese officials in the past for his public support to South Sudan’s independence and his views that Arab Muslims in Sudan are suppressing Africans in the country.  END: Login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories mid-week for our updates

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