After Somalia, Qatar and the UAE shift their focus to Sudan
Khartoum, Sudan – As part of increasing its holdings in Africa, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates [UAE] has continued to venture into Africa with the aim of expanding its markets and perhaps political influence on the young continent.
Last week, there were reports that the outgoing president of Somalia, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, had reached out to Dubai to apply for loans due to declining economic wealth, even with Qatar’s open interest, which has gained a lot of influence in the Horn of Africa.
In fact, a few weeks ago, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad sent Mutlaq Alqahtani to Mogadishu and Nairobi, where they helped restore ties between the two nations, albeit for a short time. Qatar and Turkey have often been drawn to Somalia’s internal policies.
And in Sudan, the United Arab Emirates has been following up on the border dispute between Khartoum and Addis Ababa, which has severely strained relations between the two sides. However, the UAE is said to have withdrawn, according to reports from the Sovereign Council.
The United Arab Emirates proposed the establishment of an agricultural system in the Al-Fashaqa area of Gadaref State. According to the initiative, 25% of the claimed area will be cultivated by Ethiopian farmers.
However, the head of the sovereign council, Abdel Fatah al-Burhan, traveled to Abu Dhabi recently to inform the United Arab Emirates of Sudan’s requirement to demarcate the border first before any project or the presence of Ethiopian labor in the area, the Sudan Tribune reported.
The Abu Dhabi-based Asharq newspaper reported on Sunday that the United Arab Emirates had officially informed Sudan of the withdrawal of its initiative to resolve the border dispute between Sudan and Ethiopia.
In a letter to the Sudanese government, “the United Arab Emirates reaffirmed its respect for Sudan’s position” on the need to place landmarks first.
Sudanese officials say Ethiopia has renounced the border agreement signed in 1902, 1903 and 1972. They will not allow the presence of Ethiopian farmers again in the border area unless the markers are clearly established.
The head of the sovereign council, flanked by the prime minister, had to travel to Abu Dhabi to reiterate Khartoum’s position following promises from his deputy to positively consider the UAE’s investment project, Khartoum officials said.
In the midst of this, Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani confirmed that he was sending a message of support from HH Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to the brothers in Sudan, indicating that his visit to Khartoum comes within the framework of fraternities and fraternities. which connects the state of Qatar with the Republic of Sudan and the Qatari and Sudanese peoples.
During a joint press conference with HE’s Foreign Minister in the Republic of Sudan Dr Mariam Al Sadiq Al Mahdi in Khartoum on Monday, HE’s Foreign Minister said that the visit was a good opportunity to discuss ways to promote cooperation and strengthen relations between the two countries and noted that these relations have a solid historical ground.
He added that Sudan is undergoing exceptional circumstances during this transition phase, which is a normal thing, and added that the state of Qatar is fully convinced that Sudan will emerge stronger from this stage with its sons and daughters. He stressed that the state of Qatar will always support the Republic of Sudan.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister stated that the talks included the issue of peace in Darfur and the Juba Agreement, which reaffirmed the Qatar State’s support for all these efforts and its continued work with the Sudanese Government to achieve and support all peace needs.
There was an opportunity to talk about other regional issues, regardless of the recent tensions with Ethiopia or the regional situation in Libya and Chad, and this was a good opportunity to exchange views, the Foreign Minister explained.
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