Sudan boycotts African-European summit in Libya

Khartoum, 29 Nov- (ANA)-Sudan is boycotting an African Union-European Union summit in Libya starting today in protest against EU pressure on President Omar Hassan al-Bashir not to attend, the presidency said in a statement on Sunday.

Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and genocide in Sudan's Darfur province, a move that has isolated Sudan and confined the movements of the president to visits to friendly countries in the region.

"Sudan has decided to withdraw from the African-European summit at all levels," the presidency said in a statement sent to Reuters, adding it was because of EU pressure.

"Sudan considers the EU position on the president's participation in this summit as representative of the colonial mentality with which Europe still views Africa."

The strongly worded statement accused the EU of undermining the independence of the African Union and of hypocrisy. (ANA)

FA/ANA/29 November 2010------