Malaysia to Keep close tabs on Sudan’s Darfur crisis : FM

KUALA LUMPUR, Sep 20, 2004 (Bernama) — Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, said Malaysia is closely monitoring the Darfur crisis and the United Nations (UN) Security Council’s threat to impose sanctions on Sudan’s vital oil industry.

He said Malaysia was concerned with developments in Darfur and the possibility that the UN general assembly would pass a resolution allowing sanctions to be imposed on Sudan.

“If the UN has to pass resolution giving sanctions (against the Sudan’s oil industry), it’s going to create a lot of problems and hardship for the Sudanese,” he told reporters after a farewell luncheon in honour of the out-going Algerian ambassador to Malaysia, Rachid Bladehance, here, Monday.

“I think we have to watch very closely as we have our petroleum companies operating in Sudan. What will be the impact and implications if that sort of action is taken, how it’s going to affect the Sudanese economy and the reconciliation process,” he said.

Syed Hamid, who is leaving for New York to attend the UNGA Tuesday, hoped that the Darfur crisis would be discussed by the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) foreign ministers in New York.

To a question, Syed Hamid said the Sudan government had no choice but to agree to abide by a UN resolution calling on Khartoum to restore security to the troubled Darfur region or face possible sanctions.

According to wire news reports, an estimated 50,000 people have died and 1.4 million displaced in Darfur where, UN officials said, pro-government Janjaweed militias have carried out a scorched-earth campaign of ethnic cleansing against non-Arab minorities since a revolt broke out in February 2003.