Sudan Bashir receives UK Benn, repeats UN forces rejection

Oct 17, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir has reiterated his country’s refusal of UN Security Council Resolution 1706 on the deployment of UN forces in Sudan’s restive western region of Darfur, the official SUNA reported on Tuesday.

Al-Bashir reiterated the position during a meeting Monday evening with Hilary Benn, the British Secretary of State for International Development and the special envoy of the British for the peace in Sudan, the report said.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol told reporters following the meeting that his country welcomes a UN role in supporting the AU peacekeeping forces in Darfur, referring to the government’s cooperation with the international society to facilitate humanitarian operations in the region.

Akol noted Sudanese government was exerting efforts to implement the Darfur Peace Agreement it signed with a main rebel group in May, and to persuade the rebel groups which still refuse to accept the peace accord to join the peace process.

Before meeting with al-Bashir, Hilary Benn paid a short visit to Darfur in order to get acquainted with the security and humanitarian situation in the region.

The one-day visit of the British official in Sudan came within the framework of the West countries’ attempts to push for the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces in Darfur.

The UN Security Council adopted resolution 1706 on Aug. 31 calling for the deployment of more than 20,000 international peacekeepers to replace the 7,800 AU forces in Darfur.

But the Sudanese government has rejected the mission transfer, saying it was a violation of Sudan’s sovereignty and an effort by the West to re-colonize the African oil producing country.

(Xinhua)