Khartoum – President Omer Hassan Ahmed Al Bashir has reiterated Sudan's commitment to work in all fronts to achieve development and stability in Africa. 

The trade unions' work is complementary to political work to achieve development in Africa, said President Al-Bashir in his address yesterday to the second forum of the International Trade Unions in Africa. 

Workers' efforts are important to achieve economic development and contribute towards the advancement of communities, he said. It is development in Africa that will bring about peace and stability, and Sudan is handling these two issues on a priority basis, he added. 

 

Al-Bashir said today the world is facing pressing challenges that must be resolved, especially poverty, wars, food gaps and social disparities. He underlined the need for an international social contract to address the crises the world is facing, citing the role of Sudanese and African trade unions as vital to that end. 

The strength of trade unions lies in their unity, and Sudan values trade union activities, he added. He said the state responds to the dreams of workers, whom he described as the mainstay of development in the country. 

He reiterated his trust in Sudanese trade unions and their remarkable role in liberating Sudan and battling colonialism. He praised the support of international trade unions. 

The president highlighted the importance of the forum in strengthening relations between trade unions, reviving the spirit of partnership and sending a message to the world for security and stability.

Prof. Ibrahim Ghandour, chairman of the Sudanese Trade Unions Federation, said African organisations and trade unions will defend Africa's economic, political and cultural independence. 

He warned African countries against the danger of the recipes put up by international economic organisations, including the IMF, stating that they are the main causes of crises in the African continent. 

He said the Sudanese trade unions will remain in the same trench with the armed forces and other organised forces in defence of the land. 

Ms Ishraqa Sayed Mahmoud, the minister of human resources development and labour said the world is in dire need of balance and justice and that such challenges could be confronted through the unity of trade unions. 

The minister highlighted Sudan's efforts to address unemployment through microfinance and jobs.

By Zuleikha Abdel Raziq and Hafiya Elyas