Sudan's Foreign Minister Denies There Is 'Genocide' In Darfur

[varkam]

October 7
Bloomberg.com
Catherine Larkin
Link

Oct. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol denied allegations that his government has committed ``genocide'' in Darfur and said the violence in the region has been ``misrepresented.''

More than 200,000 people have died and 2.2 million have been driven from their homes in the four-year-old conflict, according to the United Nations. They are casualties of war, not victims of deliberate killings of non-Arab Africans, Akol said.

``Genocide is a precise word with a precise definition,'' Akol said today on CNN's ``Late Edition'' program. ``And this definition does not apply on Sudan.''

The conflict in Darfur, a western region of Sudan the size of France, began in February 2003 when rebels demanding a greater share of Sudan's political power and oil revenue began attacking government forces. Authorities in the capital of Khartoum responded by dispatching troops and arming Arab militias to attack the villages of Darfur's main African tribes.

[jeff30997]

1. Sudan's Foreign Minister should get fucked buy an elephant!!!

:nuke::grr: :nuke:

[cali]

2. Unfortunately, he's quoting- almost verbatim- Jimmy Carter

who said that last week.

[pretty_lies]

3. He's Right. This Is Really About A US Oil Grab.

We should be VERY careful about supporting a barely veiled American agenda to intervene in Sudan and attack Chinese oil interests in Darfur.

[cali]

4. Bullshit.

There may be issues about oil, but it's about 200,000 people slaughtered and 2 million refugees in some of the worst camps in the world. There goddamn should be WORLD intervention to stop what's going on in Darfur.

[pretty_lies]

5. I Guess You Haven't Learned Much From Iraq.

Anytime the US and mainstream media talks about intervening somewhere for human rights, it's a cover for imperialism.

Pretty simple. China gets oil from Darfur. The Cheney gang want to threaten China's energy security.

Talking of Iraq, since the USA's killed 6 times as many and created 4-5 million refugees, maybe that should be your, uh, priority as a "liberal interventionist".

Me, I say NO MORE WARS, NO MORE INVASIONS. And I will oppose Hillary's bullshit wars, too.

[cali]

6. Try not to be so simplistic.

The entire world community condemns the slaughter in Sudan- as they should. And it has jackshit to do with my stance on Iraq- a stance that was staunchly in opposition to ANY attack or occupation.

And of course you erect a feeble little strawman; I haven't called for US intervention in Sudan. I'm opposed to it. I do support U.N. and African Nation peace keepers. You might want to learn a wee bit of discernment before you sling such rank bullshit.

[malaise]

7. Valid point but the US government

has not even admitted genocide in Iraq. Bush lies about the number of dead every time he can.

[cali]

8. I'm not talking about the admin's response. Clearly they

don't have a square inch of moral ground to stand on. I'm talking about what's happened to the people of Sudan. That in no way negates what's happened in Iraq or the U.S. responsiblility for it.

[pretty_lies]

9. Okay

"The entire world community condemns the slaughter in Sudan"

But Iraq's about six times worse. Where's the UN resolution on that? Hell, the UN outright endorsed the illegal occupation.

There are lots of worse places than Sudan. The current furore is about the geopolitics, not human rights.

"I do support U.N. and African Nation peace keepers."
AU are there already. After the Somalian experience, what makes you think any foreign force can do anything constructive in a civil war?

The best thing we can do is not start any more wars. Even if we can armtwist the UN into endorsing them...

[cali]

10. I can see that you're stuck. Let me help you out.

This thread is about the Sudan. And although there are other places in the world that are grievously bad, there are hardly lots of other places that are worse. And when you get to this level of bad, "worse" is a pretty meaningless label for those suffering.

And that you can label this a civil war, is disgusting. It's not. Never has been.

Yes, African Union peace keepers are there already. 10 of them were slaughtered last week. More African Union peace keepers are needed. So are U.N. troops. And that's true about other places.

I agree with you that the U.S. shouldn't start anymore wars, and shouldn't try and press the U.N. into serving as cover, but guess what?
The U.S. doesn't start every conflict in the world.