Sudan would retaliate against foreign intervention in Darfur: FM

ANKARA, July 27, 2004 (AP) — Sudan’s foreign minister said Tuesday his country would retaliate against any foreign troops sent to stem violence in the country’s western Darfur region.

Mustafa Osman Ismail’s remarks during a visit to Turkey came amid growing international pressure on his government. On Monday, European Union foreign ministers said they would push for United Nations sanctions against Sudan if the country does not move to end the conflict, which has forced more than 1 million people from their homes.

“We are not looking for confrontation and we hope that we will not be pushed,” Mustafa Osman Ismail told reporters. But “if we are being attacked, definitely we are not going to sit silent, we will retaliate.”

While no Western power or group of countries has said it favors deploying troops in Darfur, such a military option has been touted since it became clear the Khartoum government was failing to curb the violence in the region.

Sudan ‘s Cabinet also condemned Tuesday the prospect of foreign troops intervening in Darfur, saying Sudan could solve its own problems.

The violence in Darfur began in February 2003 when two rebel groups from Darfur’s African tribes took up arms in a struggle over land and resources. Arab militias known as Janjaweed then began a brutal campaign to drive out the black Africans.

Up to 30,000 people, most of them black Africans, have been killed in Darfur, and an estimated 2.2 million are in urgent need of food or medical attention.

The E.U., the U.S. and humanitarian groups have accused the Sudanese government of backing the militias – a claim Khartoum denies.

U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair has said his country has a moral responsibility to act over the humanitarian crisis, but that it was too early to consider military intervention. Gen. Michael Jackson, the British chief of general staff, said this week his country would be ready to dispatch as many as 5,000 troops to Sudan , if required.

The U.N. plans to send a peacekeeping mission to Darfur by the end of the year, and Australia and New Zealand have said they would be willing to contribute troops to the force.

But so far, only the African Union has committed troops to Darfur. However, the 300 AU troops are going to the region with the blessing of the Sudanese government.

“The government of Sudan never started this war,” Ismail said. “Those who started are the rebels. So the rebels should be held responsible for the catastrophic situation.”

Ismail said his the Sudanese government was committed to a July 3 promise to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to rein in pro-government Arab militias, improve security and provide better access for relief efforts.

The government would implement that agreement “faithfully and in full transparency,” he said.

“We admit that the government is responsible to bring back law and order, the government is responsible to disarm the militia and arrest the Janjaweed,” Ismail said.