Sudan says UN Chief not giving credit for Darfur efforts
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
KHARTOUM, Sudan, Sep 2, 2004 (AP) — Sudan said Thursday the U.N. secretary general didn’t give it enough credit for its efforts to restore calm in Darfur and get help to the region’s people, and said it hoped the Security Council would take greater notice.
“We are not happy that the report didn’t welcome or acknowledge the big role played by the government of Sudan ,” Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail told Associated Press Television News Thursday, a day after U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued a report saying Sudan ‘s government hasn’t stopped attacks on civilians in Darfur and urging the deployment of an expanded international peacekeeping force.
“The government is doing a lot and ..we feel that the council should come out strongly on this effort so it will encourage the government to continue,” Ismail said.
July 30, the U.N. Security Council gave Khartoum 30 days to improve humanitarian access and rein in Arab militia accused of attacking civilians, or face punitive economic and diplomatic measures. Annan’s report reflected his assessment of whether Sudan had complied with the July 30 resolution. Now it is up to the Security Council to determine what steps to take next.
The violence erupted in February 2003, when two rebels factions, drawn largely from black African tribes, rose up against the Arab dominated government in Khartoum. Khartoum is accused of backing the Arab militiamen, known as the Janjaweed, in a scorched earth campaign to quell the rebellion. Khartoum denies the charges.
Thursday, Ismail blamed the crisis on the rebels.
“The government never initiated this war the rebels are the ones who initiated it and they should be held responsible for the catastrophic situation which is now taking place in Darfur,” the foreign minister said.
He did not directly address Annan’s call for more peacekeepers, but said Sudan was ready to work with the international community.
Annan did not say how large a force he wanted, but U.N. diplomats said a U.N. plan presented to the African Union called for about 3,000 peacekeepers. The 53-nation African organization now has about 80 military observers in Darfur, protected by just over 300 soldiers, monitoring a rarely observed cease-fire signed in April. Sudanese officials have resisted calls for more AU troops and in particular for expanding their role to include protecting civilians.
“I personally believe that it will be very difficult for the government to contain the humanitarian crisis without the help of the international community, so definitely we are acknowledging their role,” Ismail said. “We are also acknowledging the role of the (international aid groups) and we are also cooperating with the AU.”
Ismail said the government had made strides in ensuring aid was reached the thousands of people displaced by the violence and was moving to restore security so that people would be willing to venture out of camps for the displaced.
In Darfur, many still accuse the government of engineering the violence. Aid groups say the government has been more cooperative after blocking their work for months.