her formula for authoritarianism and here and here in iraq the lights are on and there's nowhere to hide let me ask you straight out here is the two state solution now up front. on al-jazeera. and. you. see. october last year u.s. president donald trump signs an executive order lifting some trade and economic sanctions against sudan it followed a state department report that said khartoum but improved its fight against armed groups but the u.s. still designates saddam as a state sponsor of terrorism along with iran north korea and syria regionally it's mediating a peace deal between the warring parties in south sudan which gained its independence in twenty eleven sudan is also taking part in the saudi u.a.e.

military operations in yemen with troops on the ground in several fighter jets president omar al bashir has been in power since one thousand nine hundred nine he's the first head of state to be indicted by the international criminal court for suspected war crimes he does old his government last month amid a widespread economic crisis put off to almost thirty years as president will bashir seek another term in twenty twenty or will he pave the way for the next generation sudan's foreign minister did did he mohamed ahmed talks to al-jazeera. elderberry mohammed ahmed foreign minister of saddam thank you for talking to al-jazeera may i stop by asking you whether the changes in the air in sudan one senior diplomat said to me saddam used to be seen as a troublemaker now it's trying to be a peacemaker while. i think what's happening in. of course.

might be considered by some to be new but in fact it's an indication of what wind started very early in the country since that time when we decided to give the right of self-determination to south sudan it was part of our effort to relate is one problems in the country and we have been pursuing this this past for quite a time one of the big things that's changed in the last year is the way you are perceived particularly by the united states because they've lifted some of the sanctions against you let's just go back to the one nine hundred ninety s. when bill clinton first put those sanctions in place you were seen as a pariah state one point asama bin laden was living in khartoum they fired missiles bombs at khartoum at one point they blamed you for the u.s. embassy bombings in africa they blamed you for the attack on the u.s.s. cole you really were in the u.s.

is bad books well but but what the reason for that did not find at all any answer here in the united states nobody can tell me exactly why for then wasn't the first place included in that list it is for those i would lead in short stay into the stone laden had stayed for quiet longer piedras in other parts parts of the world in other countries the u.s. itself included this is day in today was before he stablished. any links with international terrorism even before the time he went to afghanistan so why sudan in particular has to be included because of the stay of osama nobody knows there are still some sanctions in place and most importantly there's the static nation that you are state sponsor of terror tell us what that designation means how bad is that for sudan while having two phases of engagement with the united states. first for israel which he had ended sometime ago. had led

to the lifting of today from particular sanctions particularly now we look forward to the new phase of engagement which is basically intended to see if we had an image dropped on the list of these days is sponsored into it my understanding is the us a pushing for two things in the second phase an end to state sponsored violence and improvement in the human rights record let's deal with the first of those state sponsored violence in particular in the so-called two areas and in darfur where the u.n. is winding down that joint mission it has with the african union do you accept that in the past your government has been involved in repression in that areas in those areas and is that something that's ending. you know what was taking place in south kordofan and blue nile was very much connected to what they experienced in south sudan the movement that took up we were punched in those two areas was

for the time being part of the governing party in south sudan. and between them was obvious. because of what is happening right now in south sudan we believe that it is now very much timely to either raise the issue of the willian in south kordofan and blue nile. and to what is really really in the eye perspective and to see to it that also level of violence in those areas subsites but clearly there are people on the ground in those areas who have grievances how do you meet those grievances we address that matter before we respect the south sudan. formula for peace and you control asian for social healing and we feel that the same would also apply to those two areas because the other issue is human rights and there are still human rights abuses according to human rights organizations

this is a recent letter that was written by thirty one human rights organizations international ones like amnesty international human rights watch plus african human rights organizations and ones that deal specifically with sudan they say this is suppression of peaceful protests they say this excessive force attacks on the media arbitrary detention trumped up criminal proceedings ill treatment torture and ongoing violence in darfur south kordofan and blue nile well i thought that also we were to go out on your arsenal of documents and it was. that report that was issued by the human rights council in houma last council and we need the progress that was made by sudan or was a plea. this year this is the first and the most important. report that we've got since twenty five years and what is in sudan is improving and more situation is

improving and we believe that the prob is that we have just made and recorded at the home of us currency is a progress as it would be sustainable and a progress which will fit though of course in the past there have been all sorts of allegations against your government and your president particularly with regard to doff or you remember former secretary of state colin powell accused your government of committing genocide genocide there are two international arrest warrants out for your president from the international criminal courts those are still there well the fact that african union said that it is not having confidence in the international criminal court nor is the united states. also so many said was joining. this unanimity mading you know nudity against the i.c.c. tells us that whatever accuse asians or indictments issued by the i.c.c.

are in fact meaning very little in the international community it was your predecessor abraham gun dog who did the negotiations with the united states to get the first group of sanctions lifted he before he left his job complained that sudan's diplomats were not being paid he won't be able to pay the rent on various of your embassies around the world doesn't the show one big problem area even though some of the sanctions have been lifted your economy remains in a dire state indeed it is facing a lot of a lot of problems because of the sanctions that were imposed on us by the united states of america you know a lot really and also some of the michelangelo's action that we imposed on us because of the issue of. for we look forward now to lifting the sanctions and definitely this will give us an opportunity to be integrated more and more in the

international economy and saw the economy problem for that we are facing one of the things that has happened in recent months surprised me which is sudan took on the role as the negotiator with regard to south sudan that surprised me because you were involved in the longest civil war in africa with the people who now are south sudan how did that come about that you got this role to negotiate why did saddam put itself forward and why did the regional countries decide you should try and solve this. it's done the most connected to south sudan for so many reasons that are very obvious secondly sudan is also the most influence but by what is taking place currently in south sudan in terms of receiving more a few years from south sudan in terms of also being affected by the insecurity as have sudan they are receiving a lot of small weapons that are smuggled from south sudan because of course also we

have lost a lot of fortunatus for working together with south sudan to alleviate poverty and to assist our economy this is the reason why everybody in the region feels that sudan is better placed and better position to deal with the matter and to take up the contribution if otoh sell to. defend them in the past south sudan that issue has seen some rivalry between uganda and sudar have you done some sort of deal with uganda because some analysts suggesting maybe you decided to share the the oil revenues of south sudan the in return for doing the city peace deal there is no deal between sudan and uganda in terms of sharing anything uganda not having anything to do sudan or you south sudan oil is bordering with sudan was going to happen in this matter is that we will be restoring the

south sudan oil fields to their former levels of production there's going to help the economy flows without of course basically because that's the country to which they are or driven it will go it will also help us in directly because we are going to grow also. the use and royalties of transporting for transporting the oil through our pipeline to port sudan uganda of course is a neighboring country that will benefit from peace and stability and jobs so that there we were going to benefit and the way the european kenya would benefit also maybe then you. that has to change the fact that you're going to answer then i started working together we're out in the past we're not working together we set up with god the matter we've found is going to continue to do it in a social day is going to deteriorate it will be having a black hole in the another soul malia indeed or even if it only has now right now this is it dated from what had happened but of course so so then could also be

another problem today region in general and it's you know dirty and in particular to uganda and sudan uganda into there and right now receiving more a few years. for themselves with them than any other country and this is it in a way that will continue to really decide to work together and to see to it south sudan establishes and that peace prevails in south sudan because in south sudan we have a new country that's only existed for seventy years and we've had much of that time with conflict a new report from the london school of hygiene and tropical medicine didn't analysis they believe the death toll is much greater than people thought before maybe as many as four hundred thousand tell me how this new deal is going to work my understanding is it's the same two man at the center of it president salva kiir and. is going to be the vice president have to have we not tried this before and it failed aren't you putting your trust in the suit to say man who failed before it's

not about to man it's about some would say it is it's a personal feud is there not an element of that well i think we have to look deeper and find out that in fact the problem that we face in south sudan is that this will say it in its entirety is very tickler divided between two communities that is then we're under dinka the two men out of presenting those two communities if we're going to remove that woman and then we will find out that the conflict is still continuing and we are not addressing them in real. for the real conflict the dichotomy between the two communities then would not be resolving them either now it is now the killing that is being forced out of the news themselves is to really see to it that once again they create confidence among themselves in the first place between their country and the international community at large and i think there is no reason for them not to live up to this journey it's a detailed agreement perhaps you could explain to us what happens next my

understanding is there is a ceasefire in place and then we have the strange term cunto meant going to get the forces from both sides to go back to their military bases and try and turn them into one army is that right exactly but speaking about the activities of self they please within the party transition that's that's a period of eight months in which we should see to it that all of the forces and troops will be assembled separately. and that. a measure of disengagement is based food and then we follow through to see to it that the right people from different camps are selected and trained jointly to create what we are now if with defeating to the nucleus army. this is an army that should be loyal all it was i was to that not to any tripe or ethnic group it shall be

a de tribal and the. army and it's really be the region for peace and stability to prevail in south sudan in the future this is one of the major activities. that should now take place within the returns on what happens while this is going on the un special representative nicholas hastens talked about security gap how do you fill that while we agree that some measures need to now to be boosted why this is happening you mr innes. which is a piece of the u.n. force saddam. should right now be boosted the. addiction force should also be boosted we believe that uganda untrue then in particular should be included in this in this for how many more troops about four thousand troops we believe that this is very much acquired to free energy committee that might appear now of course we dealing with south sudan we're dealing with saddam

there's one bits left over which is abbe i know it's a place you you know well you're from that part of sudan in the first place what happens with happy that's the bit that under the international agreements no one's decided which country should be. you know currently having the unifil force now the un is discussing the matter and trying to find out with the uni's for force needs to be configuring it if it is our conviction that for the time being we should better continue with this force as is we have voiced this concern to the un security and them. to do and secretary general of the same country and wild ways i would also to them by vice president of south sudan we believe there is not time now for gaining troops that are present in. we have started talking about

i.b.a. may be up to now informally stated the two countries the two communities as well and we believe that in due course they will be an agreement on what should be the next step in our view you live in an interesting maybe a hoodie in fact one could argue you live in two neighborhoods because you're a member of the african union and also a member of the arab league and as you know there's all sorts of divisions and shifting alliances going on for example the dispute over the noir. but we need in egypt or in the middle east there seems to be lines being drawn between saudi arabia u.a.e. and egypt and perhaps turkey and qatar on the other side and yet you seem to be steering a middle path in these divisions well this is in fact what we are trying to do sometimes we succeed but sometimes those who find it very difficult to convince the

different parties we've it appears to this middle ground and it's did instead of trying to excite of course we always think that it's for the best interest of or of content parties to do have a nice that. is a country that is having its own problems that requires peace within itself and requires time to other its own issues first and foremost because you have substantial saudi involvement in the gyptian in investments in in sudan and yet it's reported that you have done a deal with turkey for a naval base and qatar for a port how are you managing to pull off this trick of keeping everyone happy it seems for now well we did not agree for any naval base here it's just sort of development project two to the city of of so i can. we haven't agreed to

look at any part of sudan to to any country but nonetheless we're working with is all of the players in the region to see to it that the unit is stable they're included and got included and we hope that. also this will not mean that sudan is taking sides at all in any dispute we hope for the best of all of the region and we are doing our best to see to it that all the problems that are now being faced by the states in the region will be resolved peacefully and i mean. there is one dispute where you're taking a side and that's yemen you are part of the coalition led by saudi arabia and the us we are you happy with your role in that coalition that according to the human rights office of the united nations there have been seventeen thousand civilian deaths between march twenty fifteen and august twenty eighth scene and they say

that the majority of these casualties were carried out by the saudi led coalition and its bombing does that concern you also allegations that the u.a.e. troops have been involved in all sorts of torture at their camps but of course was happening in any war is that definitely some. well intended measures my ad. and might affect you know of civilians but nonetheless it's my opinion and believe that nobody is really targeting civilians pity or thinking of civilians should be the target of any to play them the would in this war for that i mean it's obvious that we are part and parcel of that call even but does does not mean that we have is top study in the situation so it's still under review definitely the situation and found what are the most appropriate things what else to do and of course the thing that all of the humanitarian

community are concerned about with regard to the war in yemen concerns the coalition's next move and what they do with regard to data which is a city but most importantly a port that provides so much food for yemen should there be an all out onslaught in the data in your view because mark lowe cock the humanitarian coordinator of the u.n. said that could be the worst humanitarian catastrophe of the twenty first century we're trying our best. allies to see if any imminent aid. situation. that is unfavorable is to be able in yemen we are in close consultation with or our allies in this matter and we are very hopeful that such situation would be avoided we've talked about a feeling of change potentially in sudan and in the region but of course in sudan one thing doesn't change and that is your president omar al bashir he

seized power in the military coup he's since been elected up i'm not saying he's he's in any way a dictator but that's how he got to power that was in one thousand nine hundred eighty nine so next year he'll have been in power for thirty years i understand that your national congress party already want him to be the candidate in the election twenty twenty is it really right for him to keep going on and on because the history of africa shows that many leaders go on too long just look at mugabe. well situation in africa might not be of course different from what is taking place anywhere in the world. but we have to see it would have to really see to it and recognize that democracy needs time to take root we have started a process of democratization in our country we have right now had a constitution that everybody respects and extends. opposition parties included

some of the people who are right now fighting with us are all of the time voicing concern about respect of the constitution this has not been the case a few years ago before that constitution was put in place this is a huge you know step taken forward and then democracy will gladly take root you can create democracy overnight and this means. the process of election democratization regular you know bouts. of violence that we should be avoided and replaced by by in fact you know recourse to the ballot box is a process that will continue for a very long while in any state to really take root and we haven't started that i'm a bit hopeful that in due course we will be really speaking about

a full fledged democracy but i remember the last election president bush himself said i'm not sure i want to go on and said that he was persuaded by his party isn't it really time now you have a very strong ruling party for a new person to lead sudan going forward that process i think is right now undergoing we have witnessed just two days ago a change when a young prime minister has taken over to replace. another prime minister who. was there a why. this would continue so do you have discussions ever with president bashir about how long he will stay in that you all do you say to him don't overstate your welcome your excellency well of course this is a matter that is no because he did would in. a political battle of the little puppy i'm definitely discuss the one with the getting out the. foreign minister thank you

very much bill me as you. travel off to. my tranquil quarters and forests and they probably want more. looks of owning. cities. and sundra and settings. and everything. is the song. comes black box valleys and scotland's. made political. talking to. it's the places you've trained on. and with dreams come true. when you live for adventure. and discover hidden charms when you're warm inside

when it's warm on the outside because my memories of following places are closer than anything. going together these cats are always. in the lead up to the u.s. midterm elections we will be talking to the american people looking at key issues for voters from immigration to economic struggles to the health care system to greece's and women's rights join us through i took over for special coverage and analysis the u.s. moved time on. more than seven decades ago a country was split into a good deal to me and now. to the bench all it took was a pen a map of the collapsing empire when the british had to draw a line they pulled his servant who had never been to india before al-jazeera examines the violent birth of india and pakistan and asks what the future holds for

these nuclear neighbors partition borders of blood. the us present. disappearance and turkey calls for the kingdom to cooperate with their investigation. hello there are a call this is. also coming up back to school in iraq our children and mosul are returning to the classroom as the city and lives on the belts. in the states above area head to the polls an election that could change the country's political landscape. thomas may a pox in eastern australia.