Sudan closes its embassy in Washington because no bank will accept its accounts

Khartoum sure are quick learners about things they want to understand. Note how quickly their language has transformed in reports. Four months ago they were pretty difficult to understand. Sounded like they were talking in riddles. Now they talk UN speak. Here is a good example: see the last sentence here below from the report on Sudan's closing of its embassy in Washington.

Maybe Khartoum have western PR agencies on consultancy to write press releases. Lately, when mainstream news reports quote officials like Ismail with off the cuff remarks, it makes you realise that Khartoum are very PR cunning and crafty. They probably study reports closely, highlight certain sentences, write the sentences on their hands in readiness for meetings and press conferences when the issues of sanctions and offers of help to disarm the Janjaweed are raised :)

Here's the story. "Sudan closed its embassy in Washington after being unable to find a bank that would handle its financial matters. The Sudanese Foreign Ministry said the bank that had handled their embassy's transfers from Khartoum for more than 30 years had closed Sudan's account, along with other embassy accounts, in July "because of difficulties it encountered."

The ministry statement did not name the bank. The embassy has been the scene of daily demonstrations for several weeks in protest of Sudan's treatment of people in the western Darfur region.

The ministry said it asked the U.S. State Department for assistance but "it failed to convince that bank or find another bank." A senior State Department official said on condition of anonymity that efforts were being made to find another bank.

The ministry ordered the embassy to close this week because it cannot pay its employees or its utility or other bills.

The statement blamed the United States, saying it was the responsibility of the host country to facilitate the mission of embassies. It said if the situation was not resolved after an unspecified period of time, Sudan would "be obliged to take specific measures as necessary."