EU ambassador describes National dialogue table as disappointed

Khartoum-The European Union Mission in Sudan has hoped that the national dialogue process in Sudan would allow additional spaces of freedoms of press and expression. The EU ambassador has called for a dialogue that embraces all categories and for allowing further role for the youths, civil society organizations and intellectuals to participate in the national dialogue.

Speaking to journalist on Monday, Ambassador Tomas Ulicny said” when I watched the live show on TV on the 6th of April on the national dialogue, I was disappointed as all those who sat at the table were over 60. There were no youths from the new generation. They were just politicians who have been in their posts for half a century”

On the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, Ambassador Tomas Ulicny, Head of Delegation of the European Union hosted a working lunch for a group of local and international journalists, chief editors and youth journalists, at the premises of the European Union Delegation.

Ulicny said that the European Union expects the process of the national dialogue will open space for more press freedoms and freedom of expression in Sudan. He added that the strengthening of free press in Sudan can contribute to peace and democratic transformation, as well as improve the image of Sudan internationally especially in the area of human rights. Ulicny called for the extension of protection to all the journalists including the bloggers and photo journalists in Sudan. He called on the Sudanese government to increase and improve access to the international correspondents in Sudan to enable them to bring Sudan to the global attention.

He said that the compliance of European banks by the US economic sanctions is subject to the policy of the stakeholders in the private banks as the issue is not political as he explained to the Sudanese finance minister earlier. He affirmed” there are no economic sanctions on Sudan”