Sudan describes actors Mia Farrow, Clooney as ‘ignorant’
May 6, 2009 (PARIS) – The Sudanese government dismissed a hunger strike staged by US actress Mia Farrow in protest of Khartoum’s decision to expel more than a dozen aid groups describing her as ignorant.
“On April 27 I will begin a fast of water only in solidarity with the people of Darfur and as a personal expression of outrage at a world that is somehow able to stand by and watch innocent men, women and children needlessly die of starvation, thirst and disease” Farrow said in a statement.
But the spokesman for the Sudanese embassy in London, Khalid Al-Mubarak told the British Guardian newspaper suggested that the move is unwarranted.
The Sudanese official said that the US actress is unaware of Khartoum’s pledge to allow new aid agencies into Darfur including Western ones.
“Oxfam US can operate in the Sudan but not Oxfam UK, for example… ensures that there will be no gaps in the distribution of food” he said.
Sudan accused the expelled agencies of passing information to the International Criminal Court (ICC) which in March issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
The move stirred criticism by the international community including some of Sudan’s allies. However Khartoum said the decision is irreversible.
Al-Mubarak also criticized stances by some Western celebrities on the issue of Darfur.
“We appreciate Mia Farrow’s intentions and we respect her for her interest in the welfare of the Sudanese people” he said.
“She is a good actress and a good human being, but as a politician she is only a beginner. She is like George Clooney, who has also got involved in the Darfur question. He is good looking but ignorant. She is ignorant too” Al-Mubarak added.
Farrow travelled to Darfur three times and has been one of strongest advocates of the refugees in IDP camps and voiced criticism of countries like China which emerged as the strongest backers of Sudan in the UN Security Council (UNSC).
In a recent interview she also criticized US president Barack Obama suggesting that he and Vice President Joe Biden have backpedalled on his Darfur campaign promises.
US actor George Clooney has also travelled to Darfur and campaigned on the issue “using his star power” as the TIME magazine described it.
UN officials say as many as 300,000 people have died and more than 2.7 million driven from their homes since 2003.
The US administration under Bush labeled the Darfur conflict as genocide.
(ST)