Sudan denies involvement with North Korea

By Mohammed Amin

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Sudan on Thursday denied U.S. accusations of having relations with North Korea that violate the UN resolutions and embargo on the rogue state.

The U.S. has accused Sudan of purchasing weapons from North Korea in a step it considers a violation of the UN resolutions.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour told a press conference in Khartoum on Thursday that Sudan used to have ties with North Korea but ended them with the UN resolutions.

“As we are part of the international community and respect our international obligations, so we halted any engagement with North Korea in line with the UN Security Council resolutions in this regard,’’ he explained.

In a press release on Wednesday, Sudan’s sanctions office in the U.S. State Department urged Sudan to cut off any ties with North Korea.

‘’The implementation of Security Council resolutions in North Korea, and especially efforts to stem North Korean missile proliferation and financing activities, is a top security priority for the President’,’ it stated.

‘’We have made our position clear with the Sudanese Government, and even outside of the five-track plan and in our longer-term engagement, for a very long time, that they must abide by the UN Security Council resolutions with regards to North Korea,’’ it added.

Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir decided on Wednesday to freeze negotiations with the U.S. administration for three months after Washington announced it would delay lifting sanctions from Sudan, also for three months.

In , Bashir has issued a republican decree freezing negotiations with the U.S. until Oct. 12.