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Sudan rejected as “inappropriate” the UN Security Council resolution
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KHARTOUM, July 31 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) –
Sudan
has rejected as “inappropriate” a UN Security Council resolution
giving it one month to rein in militias blamed for atrocities in
Darfur
or face punitive measures as the situation in the restive region
escalates day in and day out.
“Sudan
rejects threats and is prepared and capable of defending its people
and of confronting conspiracies by the hostile powers and plots by
those who are ambitious in its economic resources,” government
spokesman Al-Zahawe Ibrahim Malik said in a statement carried by
Agence France-Presse (AFP) Friday night, July 30.
The
Security Council resolution gives
Sudan
30 days to disarm the pro-government Janjaweed militias that have been
blamed for most of the atrocities, and carried an implicit threat of
international sanctions.
“The
resolution is inappropriate,” added Malik, accusing the Security
Council of “disregarding” efforts being made to resolve the crisis
by the Sudanese government, the African Union and the Arab League.
Passed
13-0 and co-sponsored by
Britain
,
France
,
Germany
,
Spain
,
Chile
and
Romania
, the measure places an immediate weapons embargo on all armed groups
in
Darfur
, where government forces and Arab militia (Janjaweed) have been
battling a rebellion from some African tribes.
Disregarding
Rebels
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Chirac ordered the mobilization of French troops stationed in Sudan’s neighbor Chad (AFP) |
Malik
said the resolution “concentrates more on the Janjaweed than on the
humanitarian operations or on the rebel militias”.
He
added it did not pay attention to the rebel activities which “hinder
the humanitarian operations in
Darfur
”.
Malik
also said the resolution did not comply with an agreement concluded by
Khartoum
government and the UN on July 3, in which it pledged to take immediate
steps to disarm the militias.
More
than 10,000 people are said to have died in
Darfur
since the revolt against the government broke out among indigenous
ethnic minorities in February 2003.
The
United Nations has labeled the 16-month-old conflict as the world's
worst current humanitarian, amid mixed reports putting the number of
people killed at 10,000 to 50,000 and over one million forced to flee
their homes.
Western
media and countries alleged that systematic ethnic cleansing and mass
rapes were taking place in the 125,000-square miles
Darfur
- almost the size of the
United Kingdom
.
But
Dr. Hussein Gezairy, Regional Director of World Health
Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, told IslamOnline.net
Thursday, July 29, that the situation in the restive area did
not amount to genocide or ethnic cleansing as claimed.
Worrying
Signals
Meanwhile,
Arab League voiced its deep concern at the UN Security Council
resolution, particularly article 6 that gave
Khartoum
a one month deadline.
The
pan-Arab body’s chief delegate to the UN, Yahia Al-Mahmasani, told
Al-Jazeera satellite channel Saturday, July 31, that taking an
international action against
Sudan
would make matters worse.
He
said the international community should give the Sudanese government a
chance to honor its July 3 agreement with the UN.
It
should give a chance for the African Union as well, he added.
Arab
League Spokesman Hossam Zaki said imposing sanctions on
Sudan
would “undermine efforts towards cooperation in order to reach peace
and deal with the humanitarian crisis”.
Zaki
said international sanctions would put
Sudan
, an Arab League member “in a corner (and) not allow it to be an
effective partner”.
French
Mobilization
The
situation in
Darfur
escalates day in and day out with French President Jacques Chirac
ordering the mobilization of French troops stationed in
Chad
.
“Without
waiting for the response of the international community, the defense
ministry has taken several steps, including the deployment of an
observation force already in place on the Chadian side of the border
with Sudan's Darfur region,” AFP quoted a statement from the
president's office as saying Saturday.
“The
observation force ... will participate in the securing of the area on
the Chadian side of the border, with a unit (of around 200 troops)
deployed on the border,” it added.
“
France
continues to mobilize the European Union and the international
community to obtain a global response appropriate to the gravity of
the situation in
Darfur
,” the presidential statement continued.
It
further said
France
would also make military transport available to bring in humanitarian
aid.
France
also proposed making available to the AU a planning group “which
could be drawn from French forces stationed in
Djibouti
in east
Africa
”.
Washington
Adamant
Within
the same context,
US
Secretary of State Colin Powell vowed Saturday to forge ahead with
efforts to end the conflict in
Darfur
.
"They
can say whatever they wish to say. The Security Council has spoken in
rather strong vote," Powell said at a joint press conference with
Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Mohamed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, referring to
the Sudanese stance on the resolution.
“The
issue is now to move forward and to help the suffering people of
Darfur
. I hope the Sudanese government will use the time provided in the
resolution to do everything it can to bring the Janjaweed under
control.”
Powell
welcomed the African Union initiative to dispatch a protection force
to the region.
“I
hope the African Union will move forward aggressively as they have
said they would in order to help these people and help to restore a
sense of security,” he said.
“We
can have polemics about the resolution but let's not forget the fact
that hundreds of thousands of people are in need,” Powell said.
“They are the ones we need to be trying to help.”
An
Egyptian aid group warned last week that foot-dragging
on aid efforts to
Darfur
would create a sense of frustration across the Arab world and pave the
way for west-imposed solutions.
The
Egyptian aid convoy was
sent to
Darfur
on May 5, becoming the first Arab relief aid to the region.
Kuwait
has sent its second
aid convoy to
Darfur
, including fifteen tones of tents, 40 tones of corn products and 20
tones of wheat, for distribution among the local inhabitants.
This
came days after a Kuwaiti Muslim relief group sent aid to the war-torn
region to counter blooming
proselytizing activity under the guise of humanitarian
relief.
