Foreign Ministry: The International Community’s Repeated Calls to Open Border Crossings is an Attempt to Shift Blame for its Shortfall in Humanitarian Funding

Port Sudan – Sudanhorizon

The Director of Peace and Humanitarian Affairs at the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Omar Al-Amin Abdullah, described the international community’s repeated calls for the opening of border crossings as an attempt to evade responsibility for its shortcomings in funding humanitarian needs.

Ambassador Omar Al-Amin clarified that Sudanese authorities have approved 99% of all visa requests received, denying claims of delays or administrative and bureaucratic restrictions mentioned by some international humanitarian organizations.

He made these statements during a press conference today (Wednesday) following the second informational forum on humanitarian response operations in Port Sudan, which was attended by the Ministry of Health and included the Undersecretary of the Federal Ministry of Culture and Information.

The ambassador explained that delays in issuing some visas were due to applicants’ lack of essential information, as per the regulations governing the work of organizations and established international norms between organizations and the host state. He noted that the ministry has waived many of the standard visa requirements that would ordinarily be non-negotiable.

Ambassador Omar Al-Amin confirmed that some international humanitarian organizations complain about the delay in issuing (120) visas while ignoring that around (300) visas have already been issued to UN and international humanitarian organizations. He pointed out that some organizations do not adhere to their organizational structure, requesting visas in excess of their staffing needs, and that (29%) of those granted visas have not gone to collect them from Sudanese embassies in their home countries, likely intended to pressure and embarrass the government in the international public eye.

The Director of Peace and Humanitarian Affairs also mentioned that the government agreed to extend the opening of the Adre border crossing despite certain reservations and requirements announced initially, some of which remain in place. However, humanitarian considerations for the people of Darfur were taken into account. Relevant authorities will work to ensure that all shipments have a clear destination from the point of departure to arrival and that their contents meet strictly humanitarian purposes without any overreach.