Sudan 'will not be recolonised'
2006-06-20 14:49
Khartoum - Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir voiced strong opposition to the deployment of Western troops in war-torn Darfur, vowing his country would not be "recolonised", said reports on Tuesday.
Beshir said: "I swear that there will not be any international military intervention in Darfur as long as I am in power.
"Sudan, which was the first country south of the Sahara to gain independence, can't now be the first country to be recolonised."
The United Nations wanted to replace an embattled and under-equipped contingent of African troops in the western region of Darfur with its own peacekeepers in a bid to shore up a fragile peace deal.
Khartoum had not completely ruled out a UN takeover, but had repeatedly voiced its opposition to any deployment without its prior consent and accused Western powers of challenging Sudan's sovereignty.
- AFP