Bashir Asks for Russia’s Protection against 'Aggressive' US

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir met with Vladimir Putin in Russia (AFP Photo/Mikhail KLIMENTYEV)
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir met with Vladimir Putin in Russia (AFP Photo/Mikhail KLIMENTYEV)
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Bashir Asks for Russia’s Protection against 'Aggressive' US

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir met with Vladimir Putin in Russia (AFP Photo/Mikhail KLIMENTYEV)
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir met with Vladimir Putin in Russia (AFP Photo/Mikhail KLIMENTYEV)

Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks on Thursday in Sochi with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

The Kremlin said the two presidents exchanged views on the development of bilateral relations and pressing international issues, including the situation in the Middle East.

Speaking at the beginning of the talks in the Sochi resort on the shores of the Black Sea, Bashir underlined the importance his country accords to relations with Russia and expressed appreciation for Russia’s continuous support for Sudan.

“We are thankful to Russia for its position on the international arena, including Russia’s position in the protection of Sudan. We are in need of protection from the aggressive acts of the United States,” he stated.

Pointing to the convergence of views between the two countries on a range of issues, the Sudanese president said: “First and foremost, we are against American interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries”. He also blamed the United States for the crises facing the region.

He went on to say: “We see that what is happening in our country, especially in Darfur and South Sudan, is a result of American policies… Our country was divided into two parts, which led to the deterioration of the situation.”

Bashir’s visit to Russia came a month after the United States lifted a trade embargo it imposed on the African state in 1997 over Khartoum’s alleged backing of terrorist groups.

For his part, Putin expressed his confidence that Bashir’s visit to Moscow would be very fruitful and would contribute to the development of bilateral relations, pointing out that it was the first visit by the Sudanese President to Russia.

He also touched on the economic relations between two countries, which had grown by 66 percent last year.

While noting that those relations were not significant, he stressed that he was satisfied with the pace of their growth, which had reached over the past months over 80 percent.

The Sudanese president also held talks at the Russian Defense Ministry, where he said that his meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu was positive.



Rights Defenders Denounce US Sanctions on UN Expert on Palestinians

UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo
UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo
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Rights Defenders Denounce US Sanctions on UN Expert on Palestinians

UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo
UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo

Human rights defenders rallied on Thursday to support the top UN expert on Palestinian rights, after the United States imposed sanctions on her over what it said was unfair criticism of Israel.

Italian lawyer Francesca Albanese serves as special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, one of dozens of experts appointed by the 47-member UN Human Rights Council to report on specific global issues.

She has long criticized Israeli treatment of the Palestinians, and this month published a report accusing over 60 companies, including some US firms, of supporting Israeli settlements in the West Bank and military actions in Gaza.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday Albanese would be added to the US sanctions list for work which had prompted what he described as illegitimate prosecutions of Israelis at the International Criminal Court.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged Washington to reverse course.

"Even in the face of fierce disagreement, UN Member States should engage substantively and constructively, rather than resort to punitive measures," he said, Reuters reported.

Juerg Lauber, the Swiss permanent representative to the UN who now holds the rotating presidency of the Human Rights Council, said he regretted the sanctions, and called on states to "refrain from any acts of intimidation or reprisal" against the body's experts.

Mariana Katzarova, who serves as the special rapporteur for human rights in Russia, said her concern was that other countries would follow the US lead.

"This is totally unacceptable and opens the gates for any other government to do the same," she told Reuters. "It is an attack on UN system as a whole. Member states must stand up and denounce this."

Russia has rejected Katzarova's mandate and refused to let her enter the country, but it has so far stopped short of publicly adding her to a sanctions list.

Washington has already imposed sanctions against officials at the International Criminal Court, which has issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister for suspected war crimes in Gaza. Another court, the International Court of Justice, is hearing a case brought by South Africa that accuses Israel of genocide.

Israel denies that its forces have carried out war crimes or genocide against Palestinians in the war in Gaza, which was precipitated by an attack by Hamas-led fighters in October 2023.

"The United States is working to dismantle the norms and institutions on which survivors of grave abuses rely," said Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch.

The group's former head, Kenneth Roth, called the US sanctions an attempt "to deter prosecution of Israeli war crimes and genocide in Gaza".

The United States, once one of the most active members of the Human Rights Council, has disengaged from it under President Donald Trump, alleging an anti-Israel bias.