Sudan says US genocide charge an “isolated position”
ABUJA, Sep 11 (AFP) — Sudan’s deputy foreign minister has described US accusations of genocide in the western region of Darfur as coming from an isolated position that does not reflect the views of international bodies, including the African Union.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Thursday told a Senate hearing evidence compiled by the United States concluded that genocide had been committed in Darfur and the government of Sudan and the Janjaweed militia bore responsibility.
“It is an isolated position. Nobody stands with him (Powell) because the issue has already been dealt with by the African Union. There is a resolution on that,” Najeib Abdelwahab told AFP here late Friday.
He said various resolutions by the European Union, Arab League, Non-Allied Movement and the Islamic Conference have also determined that there was no genocide in Darfur.
Abdelwahab said that rather than escalate the humanitarian crisis in Darfur where an estimated 50,000 people have been killed and 1.4 million more uprooted since February 2003, the US should support and encourage the AU in its efforts to resolve the crisis.
“What Powell has said also contradicts what the Americans have told us, that they respect the leadership role and engagement of the AU in the issue of Darfur. The United States charter also respects the role of regional organisations in resolving crises and that is what the AU is doing here in Abuja,” he said.
The Sudanese government has been accused of arming and backing Arab militias, known as Janjaweed, which have rampaged through the western Darfur region.
More 30,000 people have died in the conflict that has displaced some 1.4 million and forced an estimated 180,000 to flee into neighboring Chad.
Peace talks sponsored by the AU between the Sudanese government and two rebel groups — the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) — are currently taking place in the Nigerian capital.
The talks which started on August 23 have yet to make much progress because of differences on the key issue of security and disarmament.
Talks were suspended on Friday to resume on Tuesday after a meeting with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is also the AU chairman.
“We want President Olusegun Obasanjo to intervene so that we can make progress,” SLM spokesman Abdelhafiz Mustafa Musa told AFP.