Sudan on Saturday rejected the deployment of UN peacekeepers in Darfur until a peace deal is reached with rebels in the violence-ravaged western region. “The Sudanese government categorically rejects foreign presence or interference in any form. Sudan is a sovereign state and any decision to allow foreign troops into the country has to be approved by the government,” Sudanese Minister of Information and Telecommunications Al Zahawi Ibrahim Malik told reporters at a preparatory meeting of his Arab counterparts ahead of the Arab summit. | "We reject the presence of any force of even minimal competence. As a sovreign state, Sudan rejects any attempt to control its violent impulses. Oppression and slaughter of Sudanese citizens is an internal matter, not subject to review by the civilized world." |
In earlier statements Sudanese President Omar Bashir blamed the Darfur crisis on foreign intervention. Speaking to a gathering of Arab finance ministers ahead of the Tuesday Arab summit in Khartoum, Bashir said his government could resolve the three-year conflict in Darfur if “foreign intervention ceases and Darfur rebels end their intransigence.”
Arab League Secretary General Amr Musa backed Sudan's decision, saying foreign troops should not be sent to Darfur without the Sudanese government's consent. “Darfur is a very important and sensitive case that should be dealt with in full coordination with the African Union,” Musa said.