Roundup: U.S. sanctions against Sudan impacts negatively on women and children: AU official

The sanctions imposed against the Sudanese government by the United States are impacting negatively against women and youths, an African Union (AU) official has said.

Dr. Joseph Chilengi, the Presiding Officer of Economic Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), an advisory organ of the AU, said on Saturday that the sanctions have denied women and youths' medicine and other basic requirements.

"More than 70 percent of Sudanese are youths who were born after the sanctions and were imposed, yet they continue to face the consequences that are not of their making," Chilengi said this during a media briefing on the sidelines of the ongoing African Union Summit in Kigali, Rwanda.

In October 1997, the U.S. imposed comprehensive economic, trade, and financial sanctions against Sudan.

He said that the government of Sudan is unable to import medicine, and companies found selling to Sudan are penalized, an act that is affecting women and children.

Dr. Babikir Mohamed, a Sudanese Legislator said that heavy penalties are placed on companies found trading with the government, hence pushing them out of business and forcing them to relocate to other parts of the world.

He said that currently Sudan is unable to import agricultural equipments, spare parts for the national airline and equipment for the once vibrant sugar factories.

He attributed the latest two air accidents that involved the national carrier, the Sudan Airline, to lack of spare parts.

"Our sugar factories are currently performing at 40 percent, unusual margin that requires careful consideration since some factories are threatened with closure unless the sanctions are uplifted to allow importation of equipments," he added.

He said that the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that used to perform at 7 percent annually currently perform at 1 percent.

Chilengi also revealed that Africa is currently reviewing its relations with the International Criminal Court (ICC) with the aim of finding a solution to the suffering innocent people.

"If the ICC wants to arrest President Omar El Bashir, they should issue sanctions against him instead of creating unnecessary suffering on the innocent citizens," he said.

He observed that President Bashir's case is not a judicial case as purported but a political one that has been crafted by those opposed to Sudan's latest rise from oil industry.

Chilenge said that Africa is viewing the ICC differently because instead of being an independent court, it has become partisan and riddled with corruption and case fixing.

According to Chilenge, the European Union (EU) funding to the ICC stands at 75 percent, yet the court statutes state that no member should give support above 22 percent.

Chilenge said that there are plans to have a regional court to specialize in crimes against humanity in the continent.

A ministerial committee headed by the Ethiopian Foreign Minister is currently benchmarking globally to come up with the possibility of establishing a court in Africa. Endit