Sudanese women key to growth

Sudanese presidential advisor Raja Hassan Khalifa said that international uproar regarding the deterioration of humanitarian conditions in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states was a pretext to interfere in Sudanese affairs. "A believer is not bitten twice from the same hole," she said, implying that the government was well aware of the situation. Raja revealed to "Arabstoday" that the Sudanese government has not ruled out dialogue on humanitarian issues but controlled intervention. The Sudanese presidential advisor also stated that the government considered taking advantage of past experience in addition to cooperating with its internal institutions. Regarding the role of women, Khalifa said women were an important partner in bearing responsibilities in Sudan, adding to that the support provided by women for those affected by the war in the states of Blue Nile and Kordofan, which was clear from the very beginning. "Women's initiatives are still going on, as well as paying attention to awareness-raising initiatives and the seriousness of spreading harmful and destructive rumours for the community," Al-Bashir's advisor continued. In the meantime, Khalifa stated that the last Secretary General of the Sudanese Women's Union (SWU) left after the division, believing that this might help in increasing women's confidence between the North and the South. Raja said: "The current dispute will be settled soon, because there are ties and relations linking the North and South." Raja asked western circles to realise that Sudan would go on to reach its goals with the help of various strata including women. Raja Hassan Khalifa was promoted to the post of presidential advisor, reserving her post as a minister of cultural affairs and social development in the River Nile state. She also established the Sudanese Women's Union, as well as being a member of the Parliament and member in the leadership of the ruling party. Raja is also an Arabic professor in several Sudanese universities, apart from being one of the most politically and socially active leaders.