Sudan situation ‘troubling’: US

Sept 5, 2006 (WASHINGTON) — The United States called the situation in Sudan “troubling” in the wake of Khartoum’s vow to ask the African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur to leave while massing its own troops in the region.

The Sudanese government said Monday it would ask the African Mission in Sudan, or AMIS, to leave Darfur by the end of the month if the African Union confirmed that it was no longer able to continue the mission.

And on Tuesday Sudan’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs El-Wasilla Al Samani questioned whether there was suffering in Darfur — where up to 300,000 people have been killed in a civil war since 2002 — and said the future of the AU peacekeeping force in the troubled region beyond the end of the month was up to the African Union.

“It is not the UN that is going to solve the suffering, if there is suffering there,” he said, repeating Khartoum’s adamant opposition to a UN force.

“Certainly the situation is troubling,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

“My understanding is that this refusal to allow in a UN force, as well as asking the AMIS force to leave, has not been officially conveyed to any of the international partners. So we would hope that that is not, in fact, the position of the Sudan government.”

The statements by Sudan were fresh acts of defiance following the UN Security Council resolution last Thursday to deploy of up to 20,000 forces to replace the ill-equipped AU forces.

“Certainly it’s very troubling, the reports of a buildup by the Sudanese army,” McCormack told reporters.

He said the foreign countries backing the placement of a UN force in Darfur would like Khartoum’s consent to do so.

“But as the resolution makes clear, it (consent) is invited, but not necessary,” he noted.

(ST/AFP)