From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Thu Jul 24 2008 - 17:36:52 EDT
Sudan's Bashir accuses France of damaging Darfur peace
Thursday 24 July 2008 06:30. Printer-Friendly version Comments...
July 23, 2008 (NYALA) - The Sudanese president accused France, where
lives one of the main rebel leaders, of hindering peace process in
Darfur.
Addressing a mass rally in Nyala the capital of South Darfur state the
homeland of the rebel leader, the Sudanese president accused the French
government of preventing the founder of the Sudan Liberation Movement,
from joining the peace process to end the five year conflict in western
Sudan.
"A country like France is holding Abdel-Wahid and prevented him from
joining the peace. It is talking about peace in Sudan, about genocide in
Sudan and about war crimes in Sudan, yet it is the one inciting the
continuation of war." He said.
"It is the one that does not want peace in Darfur because it wants to
steal Darfur's resources." Al-Bashir added.
Abdel Wahid al-Nur is living in France since two year. He has no refugee
status but a temporary residence permit renewed every three months.
Sudan during last year exerted pressure on France to expel the rebel
leader, but Khartoum efforts failed.
However, this frontal attack comes following statements by the French
foreign minister Bernard Kouchner who asked Sudan to cooperate with the
International Criminal Court following the indictment of the Sudanese
president by the prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo on Monday 14 July.
"It is a decision by the International Criminal Court that President
al-Bashir must respect. He must take the court recommendations into
account, period," Kouchner told reporters following talks with U.N.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Paris.
Further speaking to Radio France International on July 22 following the
capture of the genocide suspect former Bosnian Serb President, Koucner
compared Radovan Karadzic with the case of the Sudanese president.
"I am thinking also of Sudan, because Mr Luis Ocampo's warrant which
will perhaps be issued against the Sudanese president, contains the same
crimes - crimes against humanity, genocide and mass murder." The French
foreign minister predicted.
"So human rights campaigners take a little courage from this, telling
themselves that in this century of globalization human rights are not
completely dead, completely forgotten. I think that this is a really
major event and it also means that there are no guaranteed hiding place
for criminals, no impunity, no possible escape - a life spent in hiding,
only to be arrested." he said.
Last month the Sudanese foreign minister was in Paris where he asked
France's help to end the ongoing armed conflict in Darfur, he also urged
France to amend Sudan's relation with Chad.
The visit was the occasion for the two countries to clear
misunderstanding and confusion following the 10 May attack by the
Justice and Equality Movement on Khartoum. At that time Sudan accused
France of providing satellite photos to the rebels in order to avoid the
positions of the Sudanese army.
(ST)
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