Sudan president denies crisis

2004-05-21 14:16

Nyala - Sudan's president, protected by bodyguards, was upbeat and persuasive in a visit to the troubled Darfur region of his country, dancing to welcoming music and later denying claims of ethnic cleansing and urging citizens to help return the area to normalcy.

President Omar el-Bashir travelled to the second-largest city in Darfur on Wednesday with a group of Western diplomats and United Nations officials to show that calm is returning to the area since a cease-fire reached last month. The officials were welcomed by hundreds of thousands of people - some on horses or camels, others on foot.

At Nyala's main square, horsemen from both Arab and African tribes paraded before the presidential podium in a display meant to prove tribal harmony.

Who is Arab and who is not?

"Let any one of our visitors tell if they can say who is Arab and who is African among this gathering," el-Bashir said, responding to accusations that the Sudanese government has supported Arab militias in a campaign of ethnic cleansing against African tribes in the region.

"We thank God because we are able to come here today and in our company we have eyewitnesses from outside Sudan to see for themselves what they have heard about Darfur, about ethnic cleansing, genocide and about the worst humanitarian crisis in the world at present: We are telling them these are the people of Darfur, let them tell us if they can now differentiate between who is Arab and who is not Arab?" the president said.

Thousands of people are believed to have died since early 2003 when rebels began fighting for autonomy and greater state aid. The conflict has also displaced about a million refugees. The UN and relief organisations have described it as a major humanitarian crisis.

"We want all the displaced and the refugees to return to their homeland. We want the farmers to return to their areas. We want you to cultivate your farms, and we will provide security and safety for those people," el-Bashir told the crowd. "The federal government, the army, the police, the security, the popular defence forces, will all be at the service of Darfur people."

In Washington, the US State Department said Sudan's government promised US officials that it would not restrict aircraft carrying humanitarian relief supplies for Darfur refugees, and would grant visas to aid workers within 48 hours.

El-Bashir blamed the fighting on "the enemies of Darfur and the enemies of Sudan who did not want to see any development." He cited the murders of a number of engineers and water technicians by the rebels shortly after the outbreak of the insurgency.

"But whatever be the case, we insist that security and calm have to return to Darfur and development should continue," the president told the crowd, while military helicopters roamed the sky above.

Darfur, a largely desert area, is still believed to be insecure, with both sides accusing the other of violating the cease-fire.

- AP