Bashir says former FMs of Egypt & Libya worked against Darfur peace
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March 30, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese president Omer Hassan
Al-Bashir accused the former foreign ministers of Egypt and Libya of
working to undermine the peace talks in the Arab Gulf state of Qatar
aimed at resolving the eight years old conflict in Darfur.
JPEG - 38.3 kb
Libya’s former Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa (L) and former Egyptian
Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit (R)
Addressing Sudanese expatriates in Doha where he is currently
visiting, Bashir said that Egypt and Libya’s ex-top diplomats Ahmed
Aboul-Gheit and Moussa Koussa coordinated together to sabotage the
negotiations between Khartoum and Darfur rebel groups.
"We endured a lot of harm [from both countries]" Bashir was quoted as
saying by the pro-government Al-Raed newspaper.
The Sudanese leader did not elaborate on what exactly both men did in
their bid to ensure the failure of the Darfur peace talks.
In the past Egypt and Libya have publicly and privately expressed
displeasure with the designation of Qatar as the venue for the talks.
Both countries perceive Sudan as their backyard and believe that they
should have the primary role in resolving the conflict.
Two years ago Aboul-Gheit said that talks hosted by “other parties”,
in an apparent reference to Qatar, have been unsuccessful due to the
lack of comprehension with the “dynamics” of situation in Sudan and
complex tribal relations.
Aboul-Gheit lost his position following the toppling of Egyptian
president Hosni Mubarak last month. Koussa on the other hand defected
today and sought political asylum in Britain as the Libyan leader
Muammar Gaddafi fights armed opposition who are working to oust him.
Bashir said that Sudan is the most pleased with the change in Egypt
and slammed Mubarak’s regime saying that they have taken advantage of
the North-South civil war to occupy the disputed border region of
Halayeb.
The Halayeb triangle that overlooks the Red Sea has been a source of
tension between the two countries as early as 1958, shortly after
Sudan gained independence from British-Egyptian rule.
The border issue was laid to rest until the 1990’s when relations
between the two countries worsened over accusations that Sudan is
harboring Islamic militant groups seeking to overthrow the Egyptian
regime.
A failed attempt on the life of the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak
was blamed on Khartoum after which Cairo moved to assert full control
over the area.
Bashir has generally avoided bringing up the issue publicly for fear
of losing Cairo’s backing particularly with respect to the arrest
warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC)
for his alleged role in the Darfur war crimes.
Sudanese officials did not even spare beleaguered Gaddafi from
criticism lately and claimed that he has supported the Darfur rebels
and provided them with arms and money. As with Egypt, the Libyan
leader has been one of the fiercest critics of the ICC after it
indicted Bashir and pushed the African Union to bar its member states
from arresting Bashir.
’NO ABYEI REFERENDUM WITHOUT MISSERIYA’
The Sudanese president also discussed his government’s view of the
impasse with the South over the oil rich region of Abyei.
The disputed border district was supposed to have a referendum last
January for its residents to decide whether it wants to join the North
or the South which is will officially secede next July after
Southerners voted for independence.
However, the vote did not take place as the Sudan People Liberation
Movement (SPLM) in control of the South refused to accept the National
Congress Party (NCP) demand that the Misseriya tribe, who enter the
region to graze their cattle for a few months of the year, be allowed
to vote.
The ex-Southern rebel group maintain that the Dinka Ngok tribe are
natives of the area and are the only group who should be allowed to
vote in the Abyei referendum. The Dinka Ngok is a branch of southern
Sudan’s largest ethnic group, the Dinka, and largely identify
themselves as southerners despite Abyei geographically being in
northern Sudan.
But Bashir today stressed that no plebiscite would take in place in
Abyei without the participation of the Misseriya’s.
"There is no way that the Dinka Ngok [are treated] as first-class
citizens and Misseriya as second class," he said.
Abyei has seen deadly clashes in the run up to and since the South’s
referendum with scores killed and thousands displaced.
The SPLM and NCP agreed to resolve the issue before the conclusion of
the interim period in July. The African Union (AU) panel headed by
South African president Thabo Mbeki is mediating between the NCP and
SPLM on this issue along with post-referendum arrangements.
(ST)
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