Sudan refuses to participate in Security Council meeting on Darfur

Aug 27, 2006 (KHARTOUM,) -– Sudanese government said on Sunday it will not participate in Monday’s UN Security-Council meeting on the crisis in Darfur.

In a press statement, State Minister at Information Ministry Farah Aqar said Sudan would not participate in the meeting because the U.N Security Council ignored the request made by the Arab League and Sudan to postpone the assembly.

The U.N Security Council president, Nana Effah-Apenteng, Ghana’s U.N. ambassador, challenged Sudan on Thursday 24 August to attend Monday 28 August and said the session would go on with or without an official Sudanese presence.

Effah-Apenteng called the meeting to get Sudan’s views on the draft resolution and an explanation of its rival plan to instead deploy 10,500 more government troops in Darfur.

The meeting will include a US criticism of Sudan’s policy in Darfur and calls to investigate the death of two members of the African Union’s force in Darfur, added Aqar.

Security Council is expected to discuss a British draft resolution to deploy UN forces instead of AU forces when their tenure ends by the end of September.

Regarding the visit of US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Jendayi Frazer, to Sudan, Aqar said it aims at convincing Sudan with the urgency of deploying UN force in Darfur.

He said the government will implement a plan within the next few days that includes deploying more Sudanese forces in Darfur to ensure peace and security.

Effah-Apenteng had proposed a close door meeting if Sudanese government accepts to participate in the meeting.

“If they can come, fine. If they don’t come, fine,” he said. But if Sudan persisted, he would go ahead with an open meeting and invite U.N. peacekeeping officials to use it to comment on the Sudanese proposal, he said.

“The situation in Darfur is very grave,” he said. “We don’t want to be accused of inaction on this issue.”

(ST)