Sudan criticize US Obama ‘genocide’ labeling of Darfur
June 7, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government today criticized the labeling made by US president Barack Obama of the Darfur conflict as genocide.
The Sudanese foreign ministry spokesperson Ali Al-Sadiq said that the labeling “is out of context” and added that it is politically motivated.
Al-Sadiq said that the US special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration did not use the term genocide during his recent visits to Khartoum.
This week the US president reiterated his labeling of the Darfur conflict as “genocide” saying the international community has an obligation to act “even when its inconvenient”.
Al-Sadiq said that even the judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) dropped the genocide charges against Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir last March.
The Sudanese diplomat’s statements mark a rare criticism of the new US administration. Washington appeared to soften its tone towards Khartoum and even suggested that normalizing bilateral relations and lifting sanctions imposed since 1997 are on the table.
(ST)