Sudan hopes Gration’s denial of Darfur genocide become US official position

June 21, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese foreign ministry expressed hope that the denial of genocide in Darfur made by US envoy to Sudan would be the position of the different departments of the US administration.

In a news conference held last Wednesday, the US President’s special envoy, Scott Gration, that the Sudanese government is 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.”

However the State Department disapproved Gration statement twenty-four hours later. The “We continue to characterize the circumstances in Darfur as genocide,” said Philip Crowley, Assistant Secretary of the US State Department on Thursday June 19.

In a statement to the official news agency SUNA, The Sudanese foreign ministry said, on Sunday, “this stance will facilitate the ongoing process of dialogue between the government and the American administration.”

Khartoum further said this position will also silence the hostile attitudes against Sudan in the United States especially and the West in general, including the organizations that are hostile to Sudan.

Last week, Gration during the press briefing t defended his approach of “constructive engagement” with the Government of Sudan and other parties, pointing to results in the field of humanitarian access and potentially in Sudan’s peace processes.

However, after Mr. Gration’s comments ABC News reported that US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice was furious.

Gration statements were also slammed by Darfur rebels. Abdel Wahid Al-Nur of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement and Bahar Idriss Abu Garda of the rebel United Resistance Front condemned the statements.

(ST)