Jerry Fowler criticized by Foreign Ministry while on visit to Darfur

February 16, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – Save Darfur Coalition President Jerry Fowler, currently visiting Darfur where there are some 2.7 million displaced civilians, was criticized by the Foreign Ministry in Khartoum today.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry played down the importance of a visit by the U.S.-based Jerry Fowler, who has voiced harsh criticism of the regime for years and accused them of genocide and war crimes.

Muawya Osman Khalid, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, told Sudan News Agency (SUNA) that the president of the Coalition had asked to visit Sudan and the government allowed him in the context of visits allowed to the organizations.

But he added that the organization has been fabricating lies and allegations over the past five years without seeing the situationo the ground or having any knowledge or familiarity with the situation in Darfur.

Mr. Fowler had previously visited the Chad-Sudan border in 2004 at a time when tens of thousands of refugees were fleeing from fighting and attacks launched against hundreds of villages by the Sudan Armed Forces and government-backed militias known as janjaweed.

The Save Darfur president said in an interview with Sudan Tribune earlier this month that he is still concerned about the conditions for civilians in Darfur. He explained that he is stepping down from his position next month but that he still believes in the mission of the organization he co-founded in 2004.

According to the Foreign Ministry Spokesman, the organization has used the slogan “Save Darfur”, which is far from its activities. He stressed that the government has nothing to fear in Darfur.

He point out that trading with the cause of Darfur has become lost adding that talk about war in the region has ended and people speak now about development and stability, thus the lies of the Coalition are no longer relevant

The spokesman expressed the hope that the visit should be an opportunity for the Coalition to return to the voice of reason and see the situation on the basis of reality without falsification.

Save Darfur is affiliated with about 190 civil society groups in the United States. The headquarters staff, based in the downtown Washington, D.C., engage in lobbying, advocacy, media outreach and education.

(ST)