Sudan criticises EU statement

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry regretted on Friday a European Union (EU) statement about the situation in Sudan.

"The statement, attributed to EU Representative of Foreign Affairs and Security Affairs and Vice President of the Commission Federica Mogherini, carried deliberate distortion and reflected wrong understanding," the ministry said in a statement.

It stressed that the national dialogue initiative, launched by Sudanese President Omar al Bashir, was widely welcomed by a large number of parties and non-governmental organizations in Sudan.

As for the Sudanese elections, due this week, the ministry highlighted that a chance was given to all candidates to present their platforms on the state-run TV channels and radio stations.

Only the armed groups and a few parties refused to participate in the dialogue sessions and the elections respectively, the ministry concluded.

On Thursday, the European Union announced that it will not send a team of monitors to witness Sudan’s general elections that will kick off next Monday and expressed doubts that it will produce credible results.