French envoy in Sudan regrets Bashir’s accusations
July 24, 2008 (PARIS) — The French Ambassador, Christine Robichon, regretted attacks directed against its government by the Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir during his speech yesterday in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state.
Al-Bashir accused France of obstructing peace efforts in Darfur. He said Paris is holding the leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement Abdel-Wahid al-Nur from joining peace process. France” is talking about peace in Sudan, about genocide in Sudan and about war crimes in Sudan, yet it is the one inciting the continuation of war.” He added.
The Sudanese president toured the three major cities in Darfur region, a week after a request by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir.
Robichon reaffirmed that Darfur crisis can be settled only through a political solution. She further added that France has always supported this option and exerts the necessary efforts to convince all the Sudanese parties to take part in the peace process.
“France will continue to do so. It supports the new United Nations and the African Union, Chief Mediator for Darfur Mr. Djibril Bassolé.” The statement said.
French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner has several times criticised the hard-line position of Abel-Wahid al-Nur who rejects to participate in the peace process unless Khartoum implements the ceasefire agreements and disarm its Janjaweed militias, with the full deployment of the peacekeeping force.
But Al-Nur had admitted that French officials did what they can to convince him to join the peace process. He also praised the “democratic attitude” of Paris which respects his position.
In order to facilitate the stalled Darfur peace process France on March 18, 2008 held a consultation meeting of the Five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council in Geneva attended by the rebel leader.
“This meeting is part of France’s commitment for a solution to Darfur crisis, especially in the wake of the ministerial meeting in Paris in June 2007, the vote on Security Council resolution 1769 creating the UNAMID, as well as the deployment of EUFOR in Chad and the MINURCAT in CAR to address the regional dimension of the crisis.” Kouchner said in a statement issued following the meeting.
The French envoy in Khartoum said the cessation of violence in Darfur, the unhindered deployment of the peacekeeping forces and the fight against impunity are prerequisites for return of peace and security in Darfur.
The U.S. Chargé d’affaires Alberto Fernandez, who accompanied Al-Bashir in his tour of Darfur, said yesterday that he was taken aback by curses directed at the U.S. and President George Bush.
“Cussing [at the US] is not a solution to the Darfur problem and we have no relation with the ICC or Ocampo [ICC prosecutor]” he added.
Fernandez also said that it is “not acceptable” to have 2 million refugees in the region and maintaining the status quo. He also said he did not see anything new in Al-Bashir’s speech about a Darfur peace initiative.
(ST)