France refuses to term Darfur atrocities as genocide: SUNA

KHARTOUM, Sep 13, 2004 (SUNA) — The Spokesman of the French Foreign Ministry has refused to term what is going on in Darfur as genocide, affirming that his country is adopting a stance coping with the stance of the UN Secretary General and his Special Representative to Sudan Jan Pronk.

The spokesman said in reply to questions put forward by the French newspaper, Le Monde, concerning Darfur that there is a legal definition for the term “genocide” and that the UN Secretary General and his special representative do not use this term.

He explained that France works on the humanitarian and political levels and supporting the High Commission for Human Rights and the investigation committee.