Sudanese official fired over Darfur crisis

KHARTOUM, Sudan, Aug 23, 2004 (UPI) — Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir dismissed a senior government official for criticizing official handling of the Darfur crisis, reports said Monday.

The opposition daily al-Ayam said Salafeddine Saleh, head of the humanitarian commission affiliated with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, which oversees rescue operations in strife-torn regions in Sudan, was discharged from his post because he criticized the government over its dealings with the crisis in western Sudan.

Saleh said at a lecture in Khartoum last week he advised the government to settle the crisis in Darfur through dialogue, but his suggestion was rejected.

“The situation in Darfur is tragic and should be settled peacefully, but the political leadership refused (to listen)and insisted on a military solution,” Saleh was quoted as telling the audience.

The newspaper said Saleh was fired “because he has told the truth and expressed genuinely how he felt about this humanitarian tragedy.”

The Darfur crisis is described by the United Nations as the world’s worst humanitarian predicament. Pro-government Arab militias, the Janjaweed, are accused of ethnic cleansing and genocide against African tribes in the region.