Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was in Qatar Wednesday to discuss aid for his embattled nation as the United States expressed concern over death, injuries and arrests of Sudanese citizens over four weeks of protests challenging Bashir’s government.
Bashir met with ruling emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, where the Qatar News Agency reported they discussed various topics including the war-torn western Sudan region of Darfur.
Meanwhile in Khartoum, Sudan’s oil minister announced the country has accepted offers of aid from the UAE, Russia and Turkey.
Oil Minister Azhari Abdel Qader announced that his country “accepted it as a normal matter between friendly countries in light of the current circumstances that Sudan is going through.” He did not elaborate on how much aid was offered or when it would be delivered.
Also Wednesday, the U.S. State Department expressed concern over the increasing number of arrests and detentions in Sudan after four weeks of anti-government protests.
In a statement, a spokesman said the United States “supports the right of the Sudanese people to gather peaceably to voice their demands for political and economic reform and a more peaceful and inclusive Sudan.”
The statement added that the United States condemns the use of violence, including “the use of live fire, and the excessive use of tear gas” by the Sudanese security forces. Read MoreÂ