Bashir says former FMs of Egypt & Libya worked against Darfur peace

March 30, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir accused the former foreign ministers of Egypt and Libya of working to undermine the peace talks in the Arab Gulf state of Qatar aimed at resolving the eight years old conflict in Darfur.

Addressing Sudanese expatriates in Doha where he is currently visiting, Bashir said that Egypt and Libya’s ex-top diplomats Ahmed Aboul-Gheit and Moussa Koussa coordinated together to sabotage the negotiations between Khartoum and Darfur rebel groups.

“We endured a lot of harm [from both countries]” Bashir was quoted as saying by the pro-government Al-Raed newspaper.

The Sudanese leader did not elaborate on what exactly both men did in their bid to ensure the failure of the Darfur peace talks.

In the past Egypt and Libya have publicly and privately expressed displeasure with the designation of Qatar as the venue for the talks. Both countries perceive Sudan as their backyard and believe that they should have the primary role in resolving the conflict.

Two years ago Aboul-Gheit said that talks hosted by “other parties”, in an apparent reference to Qatar, have been unsuccessful due to the lack of comprehension with the “dynamics” of situation in Sudan and complex tribal relations.

Aboul-Gheit lost his position following the toppling of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak last month. Koussa on the other hand defected today and sought political asylum in Britain as the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi fights armed opposition who are working to oust him.

Bashir said that Sudan is the most pleased with the change in Egypt and slammed Mubarak’s regime saying that they have taken advantage of the North-South civil war to occupy the disputed border region of Halayeb.

The Halayeb triangle that overlooks the Red Sea has been a source of tension between the two countries as early as 1958, shortly after Sudan gained independence from British-Egyptian rule.

The border issue was laid to rest until the 1990’s when relations between the two countries worsened over accusations that Sudan is harboring Islamic militant groups seeking to overthrow the Egyptian regime.

A failed attempt on the life of the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was blamed on Khartoum after which Cairo moved to assert full control over the area.

Bashir has generally avoided bringing up the issue publicly for fear of losing Cairo’s backing particularly with respect to the arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged role in the Darfur war crimes.

Sudanese officials did not even spare beleaguered Gaddafi from criticism lately and claimed that he has supported the Darfur rebels and provided them with arms and money. As with Egypt, the Libyan leader has been one of the fiercest critics of the ICC after it indicted Bashir and pushed the African Union to bar its member states from arresting Bashir.

‘NO ABYEI REFERENDUM WITHOUT MISSERIYA’

The Sudanese president also discussed his government’s view of the impasse with the South over the oil rich region of Abyei.

The disputed border district was supposed to have a referendum last January for its residents to decide whether it wants to join the North or the South which is will officially secede next July after Southerners voted for independence.

However, the vote did not take place as the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) in control of the South refused to accept the National Congress Party (NCP) demand that the Misseriya tribe, who enter the region to graze their cattle for a few months of the year, be allowed to vote.

The ex-Southern rebel group maintain that the Dinka Ngok tribe are natives of the area and are the only group who should be allowed to vote in the Abyei referendum. The Dinka Ngok is a branch of southern Sudan’s largest ethnic group, the Dinka, and largely identify themselves as southerners despite Abyei geographically being in northern Sudan.

But Bashir today stressed that no plebiscite would take in place in Abyei without the participation of the Misseriya’s.

“There is no way that the Dinka Ngok [are treated] as first-class citizens and Misseriya as second class,” he said.

Abyei has seen deadly clashes in the run up to and since the South’s referendum with scores killed and thousands displaced.

The SPLM and NCP agreed to resolve the issue before the conclusion of the interim period in July. The African Union (AU) panel headed by South African president Thabo Mbeki is mediating between the NCP and SPLM on this issue along with post-referendum arrangements.

(ST)