The Warning, the Finger & the Welcome

Posted on October 14, 2006
Filed Under General Thoughts |

The following is in the order it occured.

First is the warning:

Egypt said on Friday it had warned Andrew Natsios, the new U.S. special envoy to Sudan, against the dangers of seeking confrontation with Khartoum over the Darfur crisis as he began his first visit to the African country.

Instead, Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit told Natsios in a telephone conversation on Thursday that Washington should seek common ground with Sudan over a U.N. Security Council resolution that authorises the deployment of 20,000 U.N. troops in war-torn Darfur, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Second is the symbolic finger:

Sudan snubbed newly appointed US presidential envoy Andrew Natsios on his arrival in Khartoum Friday for his first visit since taking up his post, security officials said.

No foreign ministry representative turned up at the airport to welcome Natsios as normally demanded by protocol, the officials who blocked an AFP correspondent from reaching the airport terminal said.

The snub was intended as “reciprocal treatment” for Washington’s attitude towards the Khartoum authorities, the officials said without elaborating.

The US administration, which had already complained of restrictions imposed on its diplomats travelling outside the Sudanese capital, had expressed concern about Khartoum’s willingess to cooperate with its new envoy.

And third is the “warm” welcome:

The Sudanese government expressed welcome to American envoy Andrew Natsios’ arrival, affirming that doors remain open for dialogues with Washington on disputed issues, Sudan’s local daily al-Hayat reported on Saturday.

Spokesman of the Sudanese Foreign Ministry Ali Sadig was quoted as saying that the arrival of the U.S. envoy in Khartoum was “a good gesture” of the United States.

It’s lovely isn’t it? ;)

Comments

Leave a Reply