Scandal of Conflict of Interest and Exploitation of Powers Related to Investment in Sudan Forces: A

03:19 PM December, 13 2018

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Scandal of Conflict of Interest and Exploitation of Powers Related to Investment in Sudan Forces: A Lord in the British Parliament to Resign




The parliamentary system in England allows groups of parliamentarians to focus in one of the foreign or internal affairs of the state, including foreign policy affairs. Since the 1970s, the UK Parliament has a parliamentary group on Sudan, known as the "All Parties Parliamentary Group of Sudan", which later became of Sudan and South Sudan. It prioritizes the support for development, justice, human rights and peace in the two Sudans.

Last year, a member of the House of Lords, Lord Muhammad Sheikh, of the ruling Conservative Party in Britain, announced the establishment of another parliamentary group for Sudan. As such, Sudan became the only country around the world, which has two parliamentary groups in the UK Parliament. It is worth mentioning that this group, which was recently established, was generously supported by Zain Sudan Telecom, which has financed all its activities over the past year.

In April of this year, Lord Sheikh, who heads the new group, paid an official visit to Sudan at the invitation of the Sudanese parliament, which covered all its costs. The visit resulted in the establishment of an oil company owned by British businessman James Turnbull, and a Sudanese businessman, Ahmed Omar, as well as the British Lord Mohammed Sheikh.

Lord Sheikh did not disclose these investment interests in violation to the conflicts of interest policies of the Parliament. When his investment exposed, , he was forced to resign from the membership of all the parties’ parliamentary groups for Sudan.

It is clear that the Sudanese government, in its attempt to establish relations with the West, uses finance, business and bribery.