Iran Denies Charges against Cultural Center in Sudan
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday dismissed as “trumped-up” the allegations against the country’s cultural attaché in Sudan, saying its activities were within the framework of the two countries' agreements.
A Sudanese government source said on Tuesday that Khartoum has closed all Iranian cultural centers in the country and expelled the cultural attaché and other diplomats.
Meanwhile, some Sudanese media speculated that the move was linked to government concerns that Iranian officials were instigating ethnic division in the African nation, but there was no confirmation from authorities.
In response to the development, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham stressed that activities of the country’s cultural attaché in Sudan has been legal and “within the framework of the two countries’ agreements and in compliance with Sudan’s laws and regulations.”
The spokeswoman slammed what she called “trumped-up charges” against Iran’s cultural center in Khartoum, and underlined that it has no branch in any other Sudanese town.
She noted that such allegations have been made by certain “suspicious political groups in Sudan and by the regional extremists” that have abused the political and economic problems in the African country.
