African mini-summit opposes any “foreign intervention” in Darfur

TRIPOLI, Oct 18 (AFP) — An African summit meeting wound up here overnight with a joint statement rejecting any “foreign intervention” in the crisis-torn Sudanese region of Darfur and voicing strong support for the Sudanese government which is threatened with international sanctions over the situation.

Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail (C) addresses reporters at the end of a mini Africa Union Summit on the Darfur Crisis in Tripoli.. October 17, 2004 (AFP).

The five African leaders involved, including Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir, also urged rebel groups in Darfur to sign a humanitarian protocol drawn up with the Sudanese government, at the next negotiating session scheduled for Thursday in Abuja, according to the meeting’s joint communique.

The summiteers, the leaders of Libya, Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria and Chad, stressed their “rejection of all foreign intervention in this purely African question”.

The meeting also rejected any intervention into the interior affairs of Sudan “which would only hinder the efforts to stabilise the country”.

Olu Adeniji, the Foreign Minister of Nigeria, which currently chairs the African Union, said the summit “favourably accepted the decision of the Sudanese government to sensibly increase the number of African Union troops in Darfur and appealed to all African nations to contribute to this force.”

He said talks were underway with the United States and the European Union to provide logistic and financial aid to the pan-African force.

The fighting in Darfur erupted in February last year when rebels from minority tribes took up arms to demand an equal share of national development.

The rebellion prompted a bloody crackdown on civilian population by regular troops and allied militia called Janjaweed, thereby spawning what the United Nations has described as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster.

The crisis has left some 50,000 people dead, according to the United Nations, and around 3.4 million more homeless, of whom 200,000 have sought refuge in Chad.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail declared himself happy with the results of the summit saying it “sent a message to the international community affirming that Africa can assume all its responsibilities and refuses all international intervention”.

Egptian presidency spokesman Magued Abdel Fattah echoed that the international community was being asked “to provide Sudan with assistance to allow it to fulfil its obligations under UN resolutions (on Darfur) rather than putting pressure on it and issuing threats”.

Last month, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution threatening Sudan with oil sanctions if it failed to restore order in Darfur.

The international community is insisting that Khartoum disarm the pro-governmental militias, which are terrorising the local population.

On Friday World Health Organisation official David Nabarro estimated that 70,000 people had died of disease and malnutrition in Darfur since March.

The final statement said that the foreign ministers of the five countries involved would meet regularly to discuss Darfur, with the first meeting to be held in Cairo.