Sudan downplays U.S threats to move its diplomatic mission from Khartoum

  Demonstrators hold placards during a protest against a controversial U.S.-made anti-Islam film defaming Prophet Mohammed, near the U.S. embassy in London, Britain, Sept. 16, 2012. (Xinhua/Bimal Gautam)

 Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday downplayed the United States' threats to move U.S. diplomatic mission from Khartoum to one of other African countries' capitals after Sudan rejected the entry of U.S. army. The United States wanted to send U.S. marine infantry troops into Sudanese territories to enhance protection around the U.S. embassy in Khartoum, but was rejected by Sudanese government.
"The Sudanese government, with its regular forces, was in better control in terms of minimizing and lessening damages, compared to what had resulted from the violence due to the protests witnessed by Islamic countries against a movie that insults Prophet Mohamed," Rabie Abdul-Atti, a leading NCP member, told reporters here Sunday.
"Khartoum is one of the safest capitals at Arab and African levels," according to Abdul-Atti.
He said the Sudanese government and the NCP firmly reject violence and assault on embassies, "but insulting Prophet Mohamed is similarly rejected."
Abdul-Atti reiterated the capability and keenness of the Sudanese forces to protect citizens and diplomatic missions, noting that the disputed movie was produced by certain institutions and individuals, not by European or U.S. governments.
He denied the accusations that Sudanese government had instigated the people to stage protests, or that the police had designed the incident which claimed the lives of two innocent people.
On Saturday, U.S. government was reported to have ordered non- essential staff to leave its embassies in Sudan and Tunisia and have threatened to move its diplomatic missions from Sudan and Tunisia to one of other African countries' capitals.
Sudan on Saturday rejected an official U.S. request to allow for the entry of U.S. Marine infantry troops to Sudanese territories.
On Friday, massive demonstrations broke out in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum where thousands of protestors attacked German and British embassies and then attempted to storm the U.S. embassy in protest against the movie which has triggered protests across the Arab and Islamic countries.
At least three protestors were killed during the protest in front of the U.S. embassy when they were hit by a police vehicle, while some 50 civilians and policemen were injured.(Xinhua)
And in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the military team to evaluate the capacity of rebel forces operating in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) will be operational as of Sept. 22, the North Kivu provincial governor Julien Paluku Kahongya said on Sunday. The military evaluation team, which will be headed by a Tanzanian national, will have two representatives from each of the Great Lakes region countries.
The team will mainly focus on the technical, material and human organization of the rebel forces before the deployment of a neutral international force along the border between DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.
The team which was set up after a ministerial meeting that was held in Goma, eastern DR Congo, between Sept. 15 to 16, will have to establish the exact capacity of all armed groups that are currently active in the east of DR Congo.
Kahongya also added that in the execution of its mandate, the evaluation team from the Great Lakes region countries will be supported by the DR Congo Armed Forces (FARDC) and the UN Mission for Stabilization of Congo (MONUSCO). MeanwhileGambian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said Monday it would prosecute unlicensed drug peddlers to rein in rampant drug peddling on the streets and at unlicensed drug outlets.
"It is against the law and a crime for any unlicensed person going around selling medicines and any person caught in this act will be prosecuted," said Lamin Njie, an official at the ministry.
"We are not going to tolerate such a thing like this since it is dangerous for people to sell expired or any medicine that is exposed to the sun," he added.
The official also urged citizens to report any drug peddler or outlet without licenses. (Xinhua)