Dialogue guarantee to peace, Zambian envoy
ZAMBIA attaches great importance to peace and sustenance of the African continent, says Ambassador to Ethiopia Susan Sikaneta. Ms Sikaneta said there was no country that could develop in the absence of peace, hence the need to enhance dialogue as a means of resolving political differences. She said Sudan stood as a shining example with the national dialogue organised for the opposition political parties, civil society organisations and the people of Sudan a sure way of guarantying peace. “The dialogue has come up with several recommendations and resolutions which when implemented will no doubt bring about peace, stability, good governance and economic prosperity in Sudan,” Ms Sikaneta said. The ambassador said other African countries must consider dialogue as a means of resolving political differences to maintain peace and harmony among the people. Ms Sikaneta also met with the delegation of the Sudan’s ambassador to Zambia and agreed to exchange notes on growing the agriculture sector in the southern African country. She said this during a bilateral meeting held with the Sudanese deputy Prime Minister Mubarak Alfadil Al Mahdi. The Zambian ambassador, who is also ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Republic of Zambia to the Sudan where the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FA0) recently declared Sudan as one of the countries in Africa with modern technological advancements in the agriculture sector. Ms Sikaneta said Zambia stands to benefit from Sudan’s modern agriculture techniques such as irrigation farming through-out the year which the desert nation and relies on. She said Sudan, being a desert country, had a commendable agriculture system that was self-sustaining with huge crop harvests for export. She said indicators had shown that with minimum land use of 30 percent for agriculture, the country records high livestock exports of over 5 million cattle to Europe every year. The deputy prime minister also in Charge of investments further said Zambia and Sudan must consider coming up with a Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) so that both countries tap into each other’s potential. “Sudan is a huge country with fertile soil and abundant water, if irrigation farming is utilised to the maximum, we can be a bread basket of the entire continent”, Mr Alh Mahdi said.