Lebanon and Sudan- an example of peaceful co-existence by Abdulaziz Ali Omer

He is from the region of Khartoum on the Lebanese coast-line-Nazeih Ashoor , I remember is his name – his plane descended in sunny Khartoum on 13 March,2013. As he lifted over the sun visor at his window seat, to inhale a salubrious Air, in the background receded the snow-covered peaks, an appetite for skiing, the sun temple and other relics that dotted parts from 10,450 kilometers square of his country Lebanon. This little circumscribed world became a sovereign state in 192 but its advent was in 1920. Nazeih Ashoor enjoyed a 10-day Olympic-class hospitality as soon as he passed the perimeter-fence of Sudanese Foreign Office. He presented his credentials to the Sudanese president and became an accredited diplomat for Lebanon on 23rd,March,2013. So far Mr. ambassador has served in his post 18 months. During his short residency, he witnessed the opening of Middle East Airways line that initiated its preliminary flights to Beirut and other destinations of the world. He made a public appearance on Omdurman T.V Channel to announce that his country until 2017 will invest eight hundred million dollars in Sudanese agricultural sector. In the eye of ambassador Nazeih Ashoor, Investment Minister Mustafa Osman is an active and aspiring figure. He saw in him an ability to stimulate cooperation and boost the bilateral relations. He called on Sudanese relevant authorities to implement properly the Investment law provisions which he regarded as perfect. During the T.v meeting, he asked Arab investors to repeal their excuses of the existence of constraints on investment lest they wait for 40 years to make Sudan the Arab food granary. How long shall Sudanese investors shall wait to repatriate their investments in Ethiopia and Malaysia to alleviate poverty that spreads like grease on pillows.
From the interview that I followed on Omdurman T.V , His excellency Nazeih Ashoor seems deferential to Sudanese diplomatic corps. He is as he admitted impressed by thier virtue of humbleness , forgiveness, many –sided culture, broadened horizons , the common denominator between the laity and statesmen. He is also fascinated by the diversity within unity and peaceful co-exitence between ethnics of any kind as in his country. Off course , there are a lot of similiarities but he didn’t made a contarst . It is useful to mention for the benefit of reader the differences. I recall that Dr. Salah Ibrahim in his famous column :free opinion once wrote in contrast between Sudanese and Lebenanese. “ The political stability in Lebeneon relies on the sectarian collegial consensus.It is along –standing tradition that the chief of political party by ancestry comes from a large family such as the dynasty of Al-jamil, Shamoon,Alhariri, Firinjiya and Bari. The sectarian parties in Sudan have an antipathy towards other sides as result of power struggle. He added” There is no religious discord that generated in-fighting as it occurred in Lebenon.” “ All operations to get rid of sectarian influence were foiled” he concluded.
The Lebanese trained-expertise led the wave of human evolution in Petro-dollar Arab countries.On asking the ambassador, he explained to the general public that he owed the success to 3 factors. First, The investment of his country on human development because of the limited Natrural resources and Geographic space, Second, the historical staus of Lebanon as being the melting pot of diverse cultures. Thirdly, the openness to languages , peoples and sciences in the wake of Lebenese immigration to make a decent living and to skip political oppression.
Concerning the diplomatic relations between Sudan and Lebenon, ambassador Nazeih Ashoor thought it stable.” Both of countries have never had any land disputes or previously severed ties.” He assured us.
Sudanese are looking forward to a free and developed Sudan. They have to remember what a Lebenese political savvy once said” We have done well in trading business but we have relatively succeded in building the right Native lebenese’. It is my hope that the new ambassador will able to achieve his mission and both countries will be a modle of dialogue beween cultures and intellectual trends.