Darfur rebel leader lashes out at US envoy over genocide statements

June 18, 2009 (PARIS) — The Paris-based leader of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) Abdel Wahid Al-Nur vehemently reacted to remarks made by the US envoy to Sudan over the genocide in Darfur and current humanitarian situation there.

The US President’s special envoy, Scott Gration, said Wednesday that the Sudanese authorities are no longer engaging in a “coordinated” campaign of mass murder in Darfur. “What we see is the remnants of genocide. What we see are the consequences of genocide, the results of genocide.”

Gration also stressed that dialogue with the Sudanese government yielded some positive results saying now the humanitarian assistance capacity has been restored in Darfur after Khartoum decision to expel 13 aid groups last March.

“I’m very sad and shocked by the statements made by Gration yesterday about genocide and humanitarian situation. What is strange, that his statement about genocide does contradict with what President Obama had said earlier this month in Germany. Also Ambassador Susan Rice made similar statements,” Al Nur said.

“I hope he would agree with what President Obama and Ms. Rice said in this regard” he added.

The State Department on Thursday said that Washington continues to characterize circumstances in Darfur as genocide. The Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P.J. Crowley said there is no question that genocide has taken place in Darfur and that the US continues to characterize the circumstances in the same way former Secretary of State Colin Powell did when he made that determination in 2004.

The rebel leader also stressed that the humanitarian situation in Darfur has not witnessed any improvement as the US envoy says. “Gration should know that the humanitarian situation has never been worse than it is right now,” Al Nur said.

In Kalma camp, described as biggest IDPs camp in south Darfur, “there is not even a single organization that provides medical treatment for the IDPs, water services are also non-existent since the eviction of the aid groups.”

The US envoy told reporters “We’ve been able to work with the Government of Sudan and NGOs and the United Nations to restore humanitarian assistance capacity in Darfur. Three new NGOs are joining the international humanitarian assistance team in Darfur. Along with that, the UN and remaining NGOs have been able to increase their capacity. And we’ve essentially closed the humanitarian gap that existed in Darfur when the 13 NGOs were expelled.”

Al Nur appealed to the US envoy to stop making such remarks because in doing so he encourages the Sudanese government to pursue its genocide and exterminate the remaining IDPs in Darfur camps.

The rebel leader also urged the US official who is hosting a conference on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement next week, to work with them to provide security to the displaced population in Darfur and create the necessary condition for their return to their homeland as well as to ensure the humanitarian assistance to the affected population.

In Khartoum, the Sudanese government welcomed Gration statements. Sudanese Foreign Ministry official, Ali Youssef, said the envoy’s remarks meant there was no genocide at all and that the new envoy is better informed about the Darfur situation than other US officials because he has visited the region.

(ST)