Sudan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denounced the attack on worshipers by the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF), saying it grossly violated human rights and international law.

This is contained in a statement by Mohamed Abdelmannan, the Sudanese ambassador to Nigeria, released on Wednesday in Abuja.

“The ministry denounces the barbaric behaviour of the rebel RSF and calls on the international community to condemn it in the strongest terms.

Such irresponsible acts also call upon the international community to designate the rebel RSF a terrorist group,” the ambassador said.

The condemnation is against the backdrop of terrorists’ acts by the RSF on the Episcopal Anglican Church of Sudan, All Saints Cathedral, Khartoum, Sudan, on May 14, 2023.

The church is the second worship centre attacked after Margis Church in the Al-Masalma neighbourhood of Omdurman.

The envoy decried the continuation of terrorist behaviour, infringement of international laws and norms and armed attacks carried out in many other places by the rebel RSF.

According to him, such places include headquarters of the diplomatic missions in Khartoum, embassies of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, South Sudan, and Somalia and the premise of the Military Attaché of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“The attacks resulted in the looting of these properties, robbery of valuable items, including computers and diplomatic vehicles, official documents, and damage of the premises’ furniture and belongings,” explained Mr Abdelmannan.

He added,

“The group should be held responsible for its criminal and terrorist acts before international, regional and national justice.”

The Sudanese Government has called for the classification of the rebel group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) which is currently in battle with the Sudanese Army, a terrorist group.

The military government also said it is still open to dialogue and re-admitting the group back into government and the country’s Army.

This was communicated during a press conference by the country’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mohamed Abdelmannan in Abuja.

The envoy said the flagrant violation of the truce by the RSF stands condemnable, but reassured that the Sudanese Government’s would employ strategic measures to ensure safety of all foreigners in the troubled country.

He said the country would honour its obligation under the international laws and Vienna conventions to protect all premises and staff of diplomatic missions.

He said:

“The government of Sudan strongly condemns these terrorist and criminal attacks, and urges the international community, the UN, AU, Arab League, OIC, and human rights organisations to take similar actions.

“By designating the insurgent RSF as a terrorist organisation and holding them accountable before the national and international justice mechanism, for violation of the international and humanitarian law.

“In this regard, we reiterate the firm commitment of Sudan and its competent authorities to take all measures to guarantee safety and protection of all foreign communities, and diplomatic representation in Sudan.

“In accordance with its obligations and international law, as well as the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations of the year 1961.”

On the allegation that both parties have failed to adhere to policy on truce and ceasefire, the envoy said Sudan government accepted and upheld the agreement, insisting that the RSF never observed the truce.

He said:

“A responsible and professional army will observe truce for humanitarian opportunities for people to access help.

“Repair and rehabilitation of the damages will be carried out after ceasefire and after the war has stopped in the country, particularly the capital city of Khartoum needs to be rehabilitated.

“The civilians there need to be provided with medical assistance, because the RSF evacuated all the patients from the hospitals and took the place as a military place for treating their injuries.”

He mentioned that moves were made to integrate the RSF into the SAF to bring about a unified army, but the RSF rejected them. Last month, RSF leader Mohamed Dagalo and Sudan de facto leader Abdel Al- Burhan claimed to be in control of key government sites, including the general military headquarters, the presidential palace, Khartoum International Airport, the Army chief’s official residence as well as the Sudan Tv headquarters after ear broke out in the country.

The war has led to a mass exodus of people out of the country.

The United States has formally removed Sudan from its state sponsors of terrorism blacklist, its Khartoum embassy said on Monday, less than two months after the East African nation pledged to normalise ties with Israel. 

The move opens the way for aid, debt relief, and investment to a country going through a rocky political transition and struggling under a severe economic crisis exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

US President Donald Trump had announced in October that he was delisting Sudan, 27 years after Washington first put the country on its blacklist for harbouring Islamist militants.

“The congressional notification period of 45 days has lapsed and the Secretary of State has signed a notification stating rescission of Sudan’s State Sponsor of Terrorism designation,” the US embassy said on Facebook, adding that the measure “is effective as of today”.

In response to the move, Sudan’s army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan — who doubles as the head of the Sovereign Council, the country’s highest executive authority — offered his “congratulations to the Sudanese people”.

“It was a task accomplished… in the spirit of the December revolution”, he said on Twitter, referring to a landmark month in 2018 when protests erupted against dictator Omar al-Bashir.

Bashir was deposed by the military in April 2019, four months into the demonstrations against his iron-fisted rule and 30 years after an Islamist-backed coup had brought him to power.
Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok also welcomed Washington’s move in a post on Facebook, noting that it means “our beloved country… (is) relieved from the international and global siege” provoked by Bashir’s behaviour.

The removal of the designation “contributes to reforming the economy, attracting investments and remittances of our citizens abroad through official channels” and creates new job opportunities for youth, the premier said.

As part of a deal, Sudan agreed to pay $335 million to compensate survivors and victims’ families from the twin 1998 al-Qaeda attacks on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and a 2000 attack by the jihadist group on the USS Cole off Yemen’s coast.

Those attacks were carried out after Bashir had allowed then al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden sanctuary in Sudan.

Sudan in October became the third Arab country in as many months to pledge that it would normalise relations with Israel, after the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

The transitional government’s pledge came amid a concerted campaign by the Trump administration to persuade Arab nations to recognise the Jewish state, and it has been widely perceived as a quid pro quo for Washington removing Sudan from its terror blacklist.

But unlike the UAE and Bahrain, Sudan has yet to agree a formal deal with Israel, amid wrangling within the fractious transitional power structure over the move.

The first major evidence of engagement between Sudan’s interim authorities and Israel came in February when Burhan met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Uganda.

In late November, a spokesman for the Sovereign Council, comprised of military and civilian figures, confirmed that an Israeli delegation had visited Khartoum earlier in the month.

Seeking to downplay the visit, council spokesman Mohamed al-Faki Suleiman had said “we did not announce it at the time because it was not a major visit or of a political nature”.

Sudan’s transition has lately displayed signs of internal strain. Burhan last week blasted the transitional institutions, formed in August 2019 after months of further street protests demanding the post-Bashir military share power with civilians.

“The transitional council has failed to respond to the aspirations of the people and of the revolution,” Burhan charged while also lauding the integrity of the military.

Trump sent his notice to remove Sudan from the terror blacklist to Congress on October 26. Under US law, a country exits the list after 45 days unless Congress objects, which it has not.

Families of victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks had called on lawmakers to reject the State Department’s proposal, saying they want to pursue legal action against Sudan.