[Marxism] Report: Sudan Claims US Supporting Rebels 'To The Hilt'

["David Quarter" <davidquarter@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

[From Rick Rozoff]



http://www.jordantimes.com/fri/news/news3.htm


Agence France-Presse
September 30, 2004


Bashir accuses US of backing rebels


CAIRO ? Sudanese President Omar Bashir has accused the
United States of backing rebels "to the hilt" in the
country's war-torn Darfur region and said the crisis
there has been blown out of all proportion.

His remarks in an interview Thursday in Egypt's
government daily Al Ahram, came as violence in the
region continued and as one of his minister's slammed
the chief of the UN refugee agency for meddling in
Sudanese politics.

"I must again point out that the United States is
supporting the rebels in Darfur to the hilt and
[highlight] its pressure on the (UN) Security Council"
to impose solutions on Sudan, Bashir was quoted as
saying.

He added the crisis in Darfur, where about 1.4 million
people have been displaced and an estimated 50,000
killed in a conflict that erupted in February last
year, "has taken on dimensions much larger than it
really represents."

Claiming that Sudan was "behaving itself," Bashir said
there would be "no turning back on peace, democracy
and political pluralism" in the country.

The United States has declared that genocide is
underway in Sudan and is has been pushing the Security
Council for tough action against Khartoum.

Sudan denies the genocide charges, but has grudgingly
accepted the demands of the council, which called for
Khartoum in a resolution this month to rein in
militias and provide security and aid distribution to
allow displaced people to return to their homes.

Meanwhile, the Sudanese government has again denied it
will grant autonomy to any state in northern Sudan, a
press report said.

And government troops repulsed a rebel attack in South
Darfur state after killing three rebels and seizing
numerous weapons, the police said.

Agriculture Minister Majzub Khalifa Ahmed, who is
political secretary of the ruling National Congress,
was quoted by independent Akhbar Youm daily as saying
the government had no plan to grant self-rule to
Darfur and "does not speak at the moment about
autonomy to any region in the north."

The government previously rejected a proposal to give
autonomy to the Nuba Mountains in south Kordofan and
southern Blue Nile states, saying existing agreements
give the two territories "greater jurisdiction with
regards to disposing of financial resources and to
development arrangements."

"These jurisdictions can now be enjoyed by all states
of the Sudan," Ahmed said.

Ahmed also hit out at UN High Commissioner for
Refugees Ruud Lubbers, recently in Sudan, branding him
as "unqualified for handling political issues."

Lubbers "has overstepped his limits in the Sudan", he
said, adding that the UNHCR is limited to meeting the
needs of Sudanese refugees in Chad and to their
voluntary repatriation "rather than talking about
domestic political issues."

Ahmed said a recent statement by Foreign Minister
Mustafa Ismail was "misinterpreted" to appear as a
government intention of granting self-rule to Darfur
and other states. Instead, Ismail was talking about
"strengthening the federal rule."

He did not explain what he meant. Meanwhile, a Darfur
rebel force attacked Menwachi village in South Darfur
on Monday, the police said.

"Our forces stood up to the attackers and drove them
back after killing three of them and seizing numerous
weapons of different kinds, while our forces have not
sustained any losses," a statement said.

This makes 167 rebel violations of an April 8
ceasefire, it said.

The bloodshed began in February 2003 when rebels rose
up against Khartoum to demand an end to the alleged
marginalisation of their region ? mainly peopled by
blacks and one of the poorest in Sudan.
....



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