Sudan dismisses US Natsios justifications over his resignation
December 23, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan has dispelled statement by former U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Andrew Natsios who justified his resignation with his frustration at the slow pace of getting in a 26,000-strong African Union-U.N. peacekeeping force into Darfur.
“Sudan is certainly not among it” He added.
However the Sudanese official said that his government cooperated with Natsios hoping that he could make a breakthrough in the bad relations between the two countries and ameliorate it.
The US special envoy to Sudan, Andrew Natsios, has resigned from his post so he can devote more time to his teaching at Georgetown University, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.
However multiple reports suggested there has been mounting differences between Natsios and other US officials on dealing with Sudan.
Several U.S. officials said Natsios, who had wanted to step down in June this year, was fatigued by turf battles within the Bush administration on Sudan policy overall.
“There are disagreements in any democratic government … . It has nothing to do with me leaving or staying,” said Natsios in a conference call with reporters.
In a move indicating the frustration of US president, the White House named the same day Illinois Republican lawyer and former U.S. diplomat Richard Williamson, to replace him.
Williamson was deputy to former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Negroponte, who is currently Deputy Secretary of State. He was also Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs in the Reagan administration.
The crisis in Darfur has been a rallying point for a broad spectrum of religious and human rights groups and could again gain traction in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
Darfur pressure groups urged the White House to devote more time to trying to end the crisis and appoint a bigger team to back up the new envoy.
(ST)