US official accuse Sudan of violating Darfur ceasefire pledges

November 25, 2008 (DOHA) — The US special envoy to Sudan Richard Williamson decried the “humanitarian tragedy” in the Darfur region and accused Khartoum of violating ceasefire pledges.

Williamson who was speaking to reporters during his visit to the Gulf state of Qatar said that Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir did not honor the ceasefire promise he made.

Earlier this month Al-Bashir an “immediate” and “unconditional” ceasefire in the war ravaged region.

But the US official said that Sudanese military launched an offensive in Darfur hours after the ceasefire.

Last week Darfur rebels had accused Sudanese forces of conducting aerial bombardments near Kutum in North Darfur, as well as allegations of fighting in West Darfur on the border with Chad.

Williamson lauded the Qatari mediation efforts on Darfur but warned that progress is only possible if Sudan “commits to compensating refugees, ceasefire, power and wealth sharing”.

“It is time the international community senses that [efforts] because talk is not enough and it is important to have rebels participate in dialogue to achieve progress” he said.

The US diplomat said he has been in talks with Darfur rebel leaders in the last few months and stressed that their positions have to be united.

Washington has previously shown lack of enthusiasm to the Qatari initiative and a Sudanese one fearing that duplication of efforts on Darfur could lead to scatter it in different directions.

The top US diplomat for African affairs Jendayi Frazer is believed to have conveyed this message during her meetings with Sudanese officials in Khartoum earlier this month.

“We have always, from the beginning, supported Bassole,” a US diplomat who requested not to be identified by name told Sudan Tribune. “That has not changed at all, and certainly that will be Jendayi Frazer’s message to him too, reaffirming that support.”

“We don’t want these competing initiatives, which is why Bassole is there in the first place. Everything should fall under his authority—that’s what he was appointed to do,” added the diplomat.

“From our perspective the most important thing is that Bassole is at the helm,” said the official.

Asked about the Al-Bashir’s indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Williamson reiterated his country’s position that the US will not support a suspension of the move and “will use veto [in UN Security Council (UNSC)] if necessary”.

The US envoy said that there are only seven votes in the UNSC supporting deferring the indictment which falls short of the required nine votes to adopt a resolution in the council.

He also linked any support by Washington to a deferral to progress on the ground in Darfur.

In mid-July the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno- Ocampo filed 10 charges against Al-Bashir: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder and accused Al-Bashir of masterminding a campaign to get rid of the African tribes in Darfur; Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa.

The Judges are still reviewing the evidence before deciding on whether to issue an arrest warrant.

Khartoum has so far failed to convince Western countries at the UNSC to invoke Article 16 which allows the council to suspend the ICC prosecutions in any case for a period of 12 months that can be renewed indefinitely.

UN experts estimate some 300,000 people have died and 2.5 million driven from their homes. Sudan blames the Western media for exaggerating the conflict and puts the death toll at 10,000.

(ST)