Sudan cautions int’l community against hasty comments on Darfur

LAGOS, Mar 22, 2005 (Xinhua) — The Sudanese government on Tuesday cautioned the international community against hasty comments on Darfur as unsubstantiated statements could worsen the crisis in the troubled region.

A statement from the country’s foreign ministry regretted that most condemnations suffered by Sudan were based on “false alarms,” the official News Agency of Nigeria reported.

The Sudanese statement followed a statement on March 16, in which British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw retracted his January statement that accused Sudan government of bombing the village of Shangili Tobaya.

Straw’s January statement which came during the African Union summit in Abuja attracted flaks for Sudanese government with a specially biting remark from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan during a world news conference.

“The statement (retraction) by Straw though long overdue is a welcome sign of moral courage, sense of responsibility and keenness for the truth,” it said.

“This attitude sets a valuable example for other world leaders when making statements or judging sensitive situations like the one prevailing in Darfur.”

The statement noted that Straw’s retraction might not reduce the earlier damage, but said that it would help toward a more constructive attitude toward effort for peace in Darfur.

“Only a sincere approach can solve the problem and not the spreading of false reports and statements that can only help those who seek to perpetuate instability and prolong human suffering in the region,” it stated.

Conflicts flared up in Darfur in February 2003 as two main rebel groups took up arms against the government, accusing it of neglecting the barren area.

During the two-year clash, thousands of people have been killed and over one million driven to neighboring Chad or internally displaced.