US does everything can do on Darfur: Cheney

Feb 7, 2006 (WASHINGTON) — US Vice-President Dick Cheney said in an interview to be broadcast that the United States was “doing everything we can do” to stop violence in Sudan’s troubled Darfur region.

Cheney said that Washington had played “an active role” in backing other parties trying to end the conflict, citing US support for the African Union “and the insertion of peacekeeping forces.”

“It’s a huge area. It’s difficult to get at, but we have been actively involved,” he told PBS television according to a transcript made public by the station. “I am satisfied we are doing everything we can do.”

On Friday, the United States backed away from its previous description of the conflict in Darfur as “genocide,” calling it very serious but mostly a series of small attacks by different parties.

In September 2004, Washington had accused Sudan’s government and its militia allies of genocide in the now three-year-old conflict with Darfur rebels that has left up to 300,000 people dead and 2.4 million homeless.

But Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer, briefing reporters on moves to bolster security in Darfur, said the current situation “is very different than it was. It’s not as systematic.”

“It is a very serious situation and it’s a series of small attacks and incidents,” Frazer said, adding that all parties were involved. “It is not the government directing the militia attacking civilians.”

But Frazer would not respond to a direct question on whether the bloodshed in Darfur still constituted genocide, as then-US secretary of state Colin Powell alleged 17 months ago.

“The United States has said that genocide has occurred in Sudan, and we continue to be concerned about the security environment in Darfur,” Frazer said.

Washington was virtually alone in declaring genocide in Darfur. The United Nations has not used the term, which could trigger obligations under international conventions, including the possible use of force to stop it.

(AFP)