Kadhafi laments ‘senseless squabbles’ in Sudan’s Darfur region

BAMAKO, Mali, May 16, 2004 (PANA) — Libyan leader Moammar Kadhafi has described
the fighting among rival factions in Sudan’s western Darfur
region as nothing but “senseless squabbles among local tribes
over pastures.”

“In Darfur, there is no ideological conflict, no fight among
classes. Nothing explains the situation there. This is no war,
but small feuds over pastures,” the Libyan revolutionary leader
declared Saturday at the opening of the 6th summit of the
Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD).

“The British are the ones who aroused these presumed problems.
But there should be no problem, as all the people in this region
are Moslems. In fact, if there is any problem, the tribal chiefs
should sort them out,” Kadhafi added, before taking a swap at
“the great powers” for seeking to exacerbate the armed crises in
Africa.

Affirming that Sudanese themselves should solve their own
problems, Kadhafi said the war was “senseless” and the offshoot
of manipulations by “hidden instigators”, as was the case in Cote
d’Ivoire and Nigeria.

“If people argue about a well, we tell them that it’s not worth
it, because we are capable of digging as many wells as they
want,” said the forerunner in the formation CEN-SAD.

He urged African leaders to collaborate in a bid to ensure peace
and security throughout the continent.

Political analysts here say Kadhafi’s statement, which clearly
downplays the war in Darfur, amounts to an indirect response to
recent allegations by human rights bodies that the crisis was an
“ethnic cleansing” undertaken by Arab militias with links to the
Khartoum regime.