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Ban attacked for Darfur alarm
24/02/2008 20:39 - (SA)
Khartoum - A top Sudanese official has criticised United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon, who expressed alarm over renewed violence in Darfur, and denied that Khartoum was behind delays in a UN peacekeeping mission.
"Statements (from Ban) were unfortunate and we hope they do not reflect Western and American pressure," said presidential aide Nafie Ali Nafie.
Nafie described recent events in West Darfur as a "Chadian invasion attempt" covered up by the Justice and Equality Movement, one of the main rebel groups fighting Sudanese government forces for a share of power and resources.
"Our army will fight them and we are not going to ask anyone's permission to do so," Nafie told a news conference.
Sudanese Defence Minister General Abdul Rahim Mohammed Hussein and senior army officials were in West Darfur state to ensure that civilians did not need to flee to Chad and that the situation returned to normal, said Nafie.
"Lack of funding is the reason behind the delay in the deployment of the hybrid (joint African Union-United Nations) operation," he said, pointing a finger at Britain, France and the United States.
Alarm about renewed violence
The West, in particular, has blamed Sudan for blocking tactics contributing to the deployment of only 9 200 personnel, 35% of the envisaged 26 600-strong military and civilian peacekeeping force.
Last Tuesday, the UN chief expressed alarm about renewed violence in western Darfur and called for an urgent ceasefire to permit a negotiated solution.
He described as "unacceptable" two days' of bombing of the Aro Sharow camp for internally displaced people, north of Jebel Moon in West Darfur.
Recent conflict in Chad, which accused Sudan of arming rebels who earlier this month tried to overthrow the government, has seen the United Nations warn that such violence could pull the region into a wider conflict.
- SAPA
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