Sudanese minister: US genocide accusation just heightens tensions

ABUJA, Nigeria, Sep 9, 2004 (AP) — US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s declaration that genocide had taken place in western Sudan ‘s Darfur only serves to heighten tensions, a top Sudanese official charged Thursday.

Deputy Foreign Minister Najeeb Al-Khair Abdel-Wahab [photo] spoke in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, scene of two weeks of peace talks between Sudan ‘s government and rebels in the 19-month-old Darfur conflict.

“We don’t think this kind of attitude can help the situation in Darfur,” Abdel-Wahab told The Associated Press, after Powell spoke to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, D.C.

“We expect the international community to assist the process that is taking place in Abuja, and not put oil on the fire,” Abdel-Wahab said.

In Washington, Powell told the Senate committee that “genocide has been committed in Darfur,” and said Sudan and the pro-government Janjaweed militia bore responsibility.

Powell told senators that genocide “may still be occurring.”

The Sudanese official insisted his government was acting in good faith.

“The Sudan government is doing everything possible to resolve the crisis, and that is why we are meeting in Abuja,” Abdel-Wahab said.

“Even the U.N. acknowledges that a lot of progress has been achieved on the humanitarian front,” the Sudanese official said. “We admit that there are still security problems, but the security situation is very complicated.”

The U.N. says 1.2 million people have been made homeless and tens of thousands killed in the Darfur conflict, with government forces accused of backing Arab militia in violent campaigns non-Arab villagers.

The African Union is sponsoring the peace talks in Abuja. Talks have made little or no progress since opening Aug. 23.