Canada marching to U.S. tune, Sudan says - The Globe & Mail, November 10
Washington dictates foreign policy: minister
JEFF SALLOT, Parliamentary Bureau
Wednesday, November 10, 1999
Ottawa -- Canada is allowing its policy toward Sudan to be dictated by
Washington, the Sudanese foreign minister said yesterday, denying U.S.
charges that his government sponsors international terrorism.
Mustafa Osman Ismail said U.S. influence in Canadian policy was
evident in Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy's recent threat to
clamp economic sanctions on Talisman Energy Inc. if the
Calgary-based oil giant's operations in Sudan were found to be financing
a bloody civil war.
In a conference telephone call with reporters, Mr. Ismail said he is ready
to take up Canada's offer to mediate stalled peace talks between the
Sudanese government and rebels, and to meet face to face in Ottawa
with rebel leader John Garang. (Mr. Axworthy has already named
Senator Lois Wilson, former moderator of the United Church of
Canada, as Canada's special envoy to Sudanese peace talks being
brokered by seven African countries).
No date has been set for the Ottawa meeting, but Canadian officials
hope it can be arranged before year's end.
Mr. Ismail said Sudan will co-operate fully with Canada's fact-finding
mission on the situation in his country, which will be led by John Harker,
an expert on African affairs. Mr. Axworthy named Mr. Harker to head
the mission to determine whether oil revenue flowing to the regime is
prolonging the Sudanese civil war, one of the longest and bloodiest
conflicts in Africa.
Mr. Ismail said Mr. Harker will get full co-operation from Khartoum and
will be able to travel anywhere in the country and talk to anyone he
chooses.
Mr. Ismail added that his government is committed to finding a peace
settlement in Sudan, because "this war cannot be won by military
means." He said that if Talisman were forced to pull out of Sudan, there
are many other foreign oil companies that are ready to take over the
lucrative operations.
The Calgary company, the largest of the Canadian independent oil
producers, has seen its share prices plummet and its book value drop
millions of dollars in recent weeks because of the controversy
surrounding its Sudanese operations. Church and human-rights groups
have been urging investors to dump Talisman stock.
Mr. Ismail said Mr. Axworthy took his stand on Talisman only after
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright mentioned the company in
critical remarks last month. She said she would speak to Canadian
officials because some countries have the mistaken view that investment
in dictatorships will somehow help ordinary people. |
