Showcasing Transparency and Diplomacy: Foreign Affairs Minister Meeting Sudanese Media

Port Sudan – Sudanhorizon – Talal Ismail

At the International Club, overlooking the main Port Sudan Corniche in eastern Sudan, Sudanese Foreign Minister Dr. Ali Youssef has discussed with media professionals and journalists, in a social gathering not devoid of diplomatic messages, the developments in the country, which is awaiting a decisive victory for the army over the Rapid Support Forces militia in the capital, Khartoum.
The minister spoke was frank and open in his statements and, between a statement meant for publication and other off the record, the minister appeared cheerful as he introduced himself: “Ali Youssef Ahmed Al-Sharif, I am no stranger to the community of journalists and media professionals. I worked as Director General of the Sudan News Agency for two years.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs continued: “My tenure at SUNA was very fruitful and very exciting. The idea was presented to me by the then Minister of Culture and Information, Ghazi Salah al-Din, when my term as Sudan’s ambassador to China came to an end.”
He noted that Ghazi Salah al-Din wanted to privatize SUNA and render it private institution. The Minister of Foreign Affairs recounted his historical memories, saying: “I discovered that it is impossible for a national news agency to be private.”
Between the Media and the Diplomat
This was his first relationship with the media. The Minister of Foreign Affairs continues, saying: “My relationship with the media has continued. Diplomats and journalists are two faces of the same coin, and journalists are similar to diplomats. Most of the reports prepared by diplomats are based on stories, narratives, and anecdotes prepared by journalists.”

His Biography
The Minister introduced his biography by saying: “I was born in Khartoum at the Al-Tamdun Press on Al-Hurriya Street in Khartoum. I then studied at Al-Kuttab School in Al-Abyad, then secondary school at Al-Mu’tamar School. I graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Khartoum, and earned a higher diploma in the Faculty of Economics before taking an exam to for job at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
40 Years of Experience
The Minister adds: “I continued to work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from Third Secretary to Minister Plenipotentiary, then Ambassador in the first group for 40 years.”
He added: “Allah has willed that I would return to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after 10 years. I only returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spurred by strong conviction and certainty.”
The Minister’s Previous Efforts
The Minister of Foreign Affairs takes pride in his work over the past period in achieving many accomplishments with a team working to serve Sudan’s interests. He says, “When they say the Khartoum Refinery was burned, you cannot imagine the extent of the suffering and pain we are experiencing as a result of the efforts had exerted to establish the Khartoum Refinery. This is a very painful and difficult statement. Frankly, I did not come to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be a minister or to be paid in dollars. I am very happy to serve my country.”
Here, the minister was choked with emotion and was unable to complete his utterances. He fell silent for a moment before the platform, moderated by colleagues Musab Mahmoud, Asim Al-Bilal, Samia Sayed, and Mohamed Osman Al-Radhi, opened the floor for questions from the media.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been in a tragic situation during the past period, and therefore, after assuming the position of Minister, I had to start with the internal affairs to reform and organize it”.
He added, “I have spent my entire life in the Ministry, and they are my colleagues. For me, anyone who enters the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a colleague, brother, or sister, and I do not consider their political affiliation. The most important thing is that they enter the Ministry through legitimate means.”
Promotions
The Minister of Foreign Affairs revealed a project to organize the Ministry’s internal affairs, continuing, “In Cairo, I held a lengthy meeting with a group of ambassadors on the second day of my appointment. We discussed the need to pay attention to the promotions of diplomats, as some have remained in one position for 10 years or more.”
He pointed out that he was promoted from third secretary to advisor during the six-year reign of former Sudanese President Jaafar Nimeiri, explaining that “the issue of promotions is very important, and transferring the right person to the right position is required to organize the internal affairs in a professional manner, free of bias or favoritism.”
He confirmed that he received a report from the joint committees regarding the promotions of diplomats, from Third Secretary to Minister Plenipotentiary, after they had competed in a very fair manner. He explained that the promotions were not a luxury and did not cost the state anything, but rather were a matter of fairness. He added, “During the transfers, we faced the problem of war and the current circumstances, and my view is that diplomacy is the second arm of the war of dignity second only to army.”
Conspiracies
The Foreign Minister explained the external conspiracies facing Sudan, saying, “One of Sudan’s biggest challenges is external interference because Sudan has extraordinary resources, and we are paying the price for these conspiracies which seek Sudan’s resources.”
Regarding the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Minister said, “When I began my work, I targeted neighboring countries because they are a priority, and it is very important to work with neighboring countries. We began with serious efforts with neighboring countries, and we achieved unprecedented success with Egypt, which plays a very positive role in addressing Sudan’s issues.”
He pointed out that harm to Sudan comes from Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya, and continued: “We still have initiated contacts with them to establish a consulate in Kufra, we have good relations with western Libya in Tripoli.”
The Sudanese Foreign Affairs Minister believed that most of Sudan’s neighboring countries are experiencing very difficult economic conditions, and that the UAE has made use of its huge financial capabilities after facing a major challenge in the Sudan situation. The Minister added: “Therefore, they paid very large bribes. Very large sums have been allocated to Chadian President Mahamat Kaka. If you remember the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs’ tour of a number of African countries, he offered these countries very large bribes.”
Reconciliation Initiatives with the UAE
Regarding the initiatives put forward by Egypt and Turkey, in addition to the popular initiative for reconciliation between Sudan and the UAE, the Sudanese Foreign Minister said: “The UAE was on the outset built by Sudanese nationals, and there have been three attempts that have not led to a resolution of the crisis with it, including the Egyptian and Turkish initiatives and a popular initiative by Sudanese who have actually developed the UAE. To date, there is nothing new regarding the Turkish initiative to mend fences with the UAE.
“We do not have direct contacts or negotiation dialogue.”
There are Egyptian and Turkish mediation attempts, and Cairo has proposed indirect dialogue between Sudan and the UAE.
He continued: “We have filed a complaint against the UAE at the International Court of Justice, and this automatically means the end of these initiatives.”
He emphasized that it is in Sudan’s interest to cooperate with China, Russia, Iran, India, and any country that does not interfere in its domestic affairs and respects its sovereignty.
He added: “Russia has taken a strong stance and a historic decision to use its veto. This is a very significant position, and I went to Moscow to tell them, ‘Thank you, Russia.'”
Distinguished Relations with Egypt, Eritrea, and Saudi Arabia
The Sudanese Foreign Affairs Minister confirmed the existence of very distinguished relations between the Sudan and Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Eritrea. He said, “Our relationship with Eritrea is excellent, and it stands with us. Egypt has played a very positive role with Sudan, and Saudi Arabia is a very important country for us, and its position is very strong against the formation of a militia parallel government.”
Regarding Sudan’s relations with Ethiopia, the Foreign Minister said, “Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has good relations with the President of the man of the Sovereign Council, LT General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and we have contacts with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Regarding escalatory steps against Kenya due to its support for the Rapid Support Forces militia, he said that a Sudanese committee has already adopted a decision on banning Kenyan aircraft from flying over Sudanese airspace, which is expected to be made public within the coming two days.

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