Sudan rejects criticism by US charge d’Affaires on Kalma camp
September 28, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government expressed dismay over remarks made by US diplomat on the events that took place last month in the Kalma IDP camp in South Darfur.
The raid on the camp by Sudanese soldiers and security officers killed at least 30 people and injured many more.
At the time the acting governor of South Darfur Farah Mustafa was quoted by the daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat published in London as saying that “carrying out duties by the police and other agencies resulted in repercussions”.
“The police went a little too far in Kalma camp” he added.
The leading figure at the National Congress Party (NCP) Qutbi Al-Mahdi told Radio SAWA that Fernandez “wants to sabotage” the visit by 2nd Vice President Ali Osman Taha to New York to take part in the UN General Assembly.
“Fernandez has failed to condemn any violations by the Darfur rebels. The responsibility for what happened in Kalma attack lies on the rebels who were subject to the search by Sudanese security with the consent of UNAMID” he said.
The high toll at the camp led a number of officials in the regional government of South Darfur to resign in protest. Sudan justice minister has formed a committee to investigate the incident but no findings have been made.
The attack came more than a month after the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced in mid-July that he requested an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir.
Ocampo filed 10 charges: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder and accused Al-Bashir of masterminding a campaign to get rid of the African tribes in Darfur; Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa.
Most of the Kalma camp residents are from the Fur tribe.
The ICC prosecutor requested information from Sudan and the Arab League on their efforts to investigate the Kalma attack saying it may be added to the evidence against Al-Bashir.
International experts say more than 300,000 were killed and 2 million have been driven from their homes by the conflict in Darfur, a region that is roughly the size of France.
(ST)