Sudan lobbying for support in Africa to gain AU posts

Sudan President Omar al-Bashir

Khartoum: Sudan government has started an African diplomatic campaign to gain support for its candidates for the posts of African Union (AU) commissions, Foreign Ministry announced on Friday.

“Sudan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Special Envoy of President Omar al-Bashir, Kamal-Eddin Ismail began an African tour that includes north and west African countries to muster support for Sudan’s candidates for the posts of AU commissions,” said Sudan’s Foreign Ministry in a statement.

The presidential envoy started his tour at the Algerian capital where he met with the Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal and handed him a written message from al-Bashir to his Algerian counterpart Abdelaziz Bouteflika, according to the statement.

The presidential envoy’s tour also included Tunisia and Mauritania, it added.

Earlier, the Sudanese Government announced nomination of former Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Rahamtalla Mohamed Osman for the post of the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs and former Minister of Social Welfare Amira Al-Fadil for the post of the AU Commissioner for Social Affairs. — Xinhua

The AU posts include the Chairperson of the AU Commission, currently held by Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of South Africa, besides the posts of the two deputies of the AU Commission chairperson and the other eight commissioners.

So far, the total of candidates for the various portfolios of the AU commissions has reached 34.

The candidacy is made on basis of the five AU regions which include east, north, west, central and southern Africa.

Sudan lies within the eastern Africa region against west and central African countries which control the AU bodies.