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Sudan slams U.S.'s denial of entry visa for Sudanese official as "unjust"

Xinhua, April 26, 2016 Adjust font size:

Khartoum on Monday described as "unjust" the U.S administration's refusal to issue entry visa for a Sudanese government official.

Earlier, the United States refused to issue an entry visa to Sudanese Interior Minister Ismat Abdel Rahman to participate in meetings of the UN General Assembly on drugs problem.

"This is an unjust act and does not go in line with the international laws which some claim to be defending them," Sudan's foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour told reporters Monday.

"America has no right to refuse to issue entry visas for Sudanese officials who receive invitations to participate in United Nations activities," he noted.

He went on saying that "the U.S administration has previously refused to issue entry visas for Sudan's education minister and the state minister for health."

In September 2013, the U.S administration refused to issue an entry visa for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to attend the meetings of the UN General Assembly.

The Sudanese-U.S. ties have been characterized by continuing tensions as the United States has imposed sanctions on Sudan since 1997, declaring the country as a sponsor of terrorism.

Since then, Washington has been renewing its sanctions on Sudan due to the continuing war in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan regions.

According to economic reports, Sudan's losses due to the U.S. sanctions amounted to over four billion U.S. dollars annually besides the halt of important industries in the country.

Sudan has also been witnessing an escalating economic crisis since the secession of South Sudan in 2011, which has greatly affected the Sudanese economy as the country lost around 70 percent of its oil revenues.

The separation has also affected the revenues of the state budget, which dropped to around 50 percent.

In September 2013, the Sudanese government adopted a package of economic measures to revive the economy including an increase in the oil prices, which then prompted wide protests across the country. Endit