The “troika” for Sudan made up of the United States, the United Kingdom and Norway has denounced the involvement of the Wagner Group, owned by an oligarch close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, in the illegal gold trade in Sudan, and the accusations immediately dismissed from Khartoum.
“In Sudan, the Wagner Group, a private military company with close ties to Putin, is spreading disinformation on social media and engaging in illegal gold miningrelated activities‘ he pointed out, before stressing that these activities ‘undermine the good governance and respect for the rule of law for which the Sudanese people have fought since the revolution’.
The ambassadors of the ‘troika’ in Sudan released a statement days after the month of Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine, stressing that “Although Putin’s war may be 5,000 kilometers away, Russia isn’t just attacking Ukraine“.
“He also attacks the principles of the United Nations Charter, the rules by which societies can live together peacefully. This should affect all countries, especially in Africa,” they said, before adding: “Russia’s ambitions are not limited to Ukraine“.
“While Putin’s army unleashed terror against Ukrainian cities, its powers are undermining stability around the world‘ they declared, pointing to Moscow’s role in the war in Syria and the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal in the UK.
In that sense, they have argued that “Putin’s attack” on Ukraine “says that countries have the right to redraw international borders by force.” “If we allow this to become the norm, it would open the door to bloodshed and disasters around the world, especially in Africa,” they added.
“The Russian invasion is also causing global economic instability,” they stressed, while stressing that “Russia’s actions pose a global threat.” “A global threat requires a global response,” they defended.
However, they have recognized that “Sudan has the sovereign right to decide on its own international relations.” “We will always respect him. We will continue to support the Sudanese people as they struggle to fulfill the aspirations of the revolution. Ukrainians also have the right to live in freedom, justice and peace. We won’t let them down either,” they riveted.
In response, the Sudanese authorities have denied the presence of members of the Wagner Group in the country and have accused the “troika” of willfully and arbitrarily linking Khartoum to the conflict in Ukraine.
The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also described the statement as “blatant interference in Sudan’s internal affairs and a blatant violation of established diplomatic norms and practices,” according to the Sudan Tribune news portal.
The oligarchs, a Putinaffiliated group of tycoons and businessmen who profit heavily from Kremlin policies, have faced various sanctions and interrogations from the international community since the invasion of Ukraine began.
Thus, some assets have been frozen and others confiscated by the authorities of various European countries such as France and Germany.
These sanctions are aimed at weakening some of the circles closest to Putin and directly impacting the economy and wealth of those individuals to make them withdraw their support for the invasion due to economic pressures.
*With information from AFP.
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