Foreign Minister reaffirms Sudan’s government commitment to Lakes States regional initiative

Khartoum,  (SUNA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi has reaffirmed commitment of the government of the Sudan to the regional initiative to combat illegal trade in natural resources in the Great Lakes region.

Addressing the conclusion of the Workshop on Natural Resources in the Great Lakes region at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum today, the Minister of Foreign Affairs called on the United Nations and the organization of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) to support Sudan in the field of capacity building and enhancing the role of youth and women by providing them job opportunities in the mining sector.

The Minister indicated that Sudan faces a number of challenges, most notably illegal trade and smuggling.

For his part, Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region Huang Xia affirmed commitment of the UN to provide support to countries of the Great Lakes region to enhance their capabilities in the field of mining and combat illegal trade in natural resources.

He praised Sudan’s efforts to make the important workshop on the natural resources of the countries of the Great Lakes region a