Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Department of Public Information and Spokesperson
Press release
In its 13 September 2020 issue, the Sudanese newspaper published a report indicating that the Spanish authorities had suddenly taken a decision to freeze the account of the Sudanese embassy in Madrid after having discovered transfers of large sums of money from that account to accounts in other States as reported by the newspaper.
In this context, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to clarify the following facts:
First, the Embassy of the Sudan in Madrid is available at one bank account in the Bank of Sabadel, which is still open and unfreezed, while in previous years all accounts of the bank embassy have been closed against the backdrop of the United States economic sanctions against the Sudan and, on the basis of the foregoing, the Embassy has had no choice but to open the so-called (secure account) after prior consultation with the Ministry ' s Presidency and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
Secondly, the Embassy in Madrid or the Ministry ' s Presidency received no notice from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the account referred to was frozen as reported by the newspaper.
Thirdly, the Ministry has initiated immediate arrangements to liaise with the competent Spanish authorities across the Sudan embassy in Madrid to ascertain the facts relating to allegations of a freeze on an account of the Government of the Sudan as reported in the news of the newspaper.
Fourthly, the newspaper should have, as it has been, contacted the competent department of the Ministry to complete relevant information so that it does not fall into the uncertain information trap.
Fifthly and finally: In fulfilment of the right of reply, in accordance with established press practice and in order to clarify the facts, the Ministry requests the Sudanese newspaper to publish this statement.