Darfur crisis blown out of proportion, says minister

ALGIERS, Algeria, Sep 8, 2004 (PANA) — Sudanese minister in charge of Relations with Parliament, Abdelbassat Sabdarat has deplored what he described as the interference of certain countries in the Darfur crisis, accusing Israel of financing some rebel groups in the region.

According to Sabdarat, who held a news conference here Tuesday in
the presence of Algerian Foreign minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem,
the reason for “this plot” was the wealth, notably oil and
minerals in Darfur.

He said a genocide was impossible in Sudan given the
intermingling among the various elements of the Sudanese
community, with the cohabitation of many several religions and
languages.

The minister said it was surprising that the issue of Darfur was
put to the UN Security Council whereas no such move was taken
with regard to the crisis in southern Sudan.

“The Sudanese government is spending a lot of money to save human
lives in Darfur, as we believe that there is a humanitarian and a
security issue, but some have decided that there will not be
peace in Darfur,” Sabdarat said.

He commended Algeria’s position on the issue, recalling it was
thanks to efforts by Algiers that the UN Security Council
resolution on Darfur was amended, toning down calls for sanctions
against Sudan.

Meanwhile, Belkhadem stressed Algeria’s solidarity to Sudan and
recalled that his country sent observers to Darfur as part of the
group deployed in the region by the African Union (AU).