Sudan to reactivate complaint against US destruction of pharmaceutical plant

KHARTOUM, Aug 17 (AFP) –Sudan said Sunday it would reactivate a complaint at the United Nations against the United States for bombing a pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum in 1998.

“The government will not give up its right on this issue,” Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail told reporters here.

The complaint “is still with the UN Security Council, waiting to be set in motion … we intend to reopen the case,” he said, giving no hints on when this would happen. “We are going to commemorate next Wednesday this attack.”

The Al-Shifa Pharmaceutical Factory was destroyed by US missiles on August 20, 1998, in retaliation for bomb attacks that targetted US embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, leaving more than 200 dead.

The administration of US President Bill Clinton said the plant was making chemical weapons and had links to al-Qaeda terror mastermind Osama bin Laden.

Sudan denied the allegations and said the factory produced drugs for the local market. Khartoum failed to get the United Nations send a team to investigate the US accusations.