Sudan again rejects UN forces
2006-03-15 20:05
Khartoum - Khartoum renewed its opposition to the deployment of UN forces in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region on Tuesday, saying any UN role there should be restricted to development.
"Our unchanged position is absolute rejection of sending international forces to Darfur, even if no peace agreement is reached there," vice-president Ali Osman Taha said.
"Instead of dispatching military forces, the UN role will be restricted to boosting the development process in Darfur," he added
AU foreign ministers decided to extend the current AU mission in Sudan's western region for six months on Friday, but also agreed in principle to eventually transfer the mission in Darfur to the UN.
Taha also renewed Khartoum's opposition to Sudanese suspected of committing war crimes or crimes against humanity in Darfur being tried by the international criminal court.
"We unequivocally reject the trial of any Sudanese suspected of perpetrating a Darfur conflict-related crime by the international criminal court and any such suspect will be tried inside Sudan and in accordance with the Sudanese judicial system," he said.
- SAPA