PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT OF SUDAN

 

At a Headquarters press conference this afternoon, President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir of the Sudan said his Government “categorically and totally” rejected the transformation of the African Union force in Darfur into a United Nations peacekeeping operation.

Responding to questions, he said: “Our position is that the forces of the African Union should continue in Darfur to perform according to the provisions of the Abuja Agreement.  We support these forces to continue their functions.  Secondly, we categorically and totally reject the transformation of the African Union forces into a UN force.”

He said the African Union forces, which had been performing “admirably”, should be strengthened and provided with the resources to carry out their functions.  Emphasis should be placed on implementing the peace agreement.  “As far as we are concerned, the establishment of a UN force has become an objective, rather than peace in Darfur.”  It had also become an objective of other agendas.  Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) emphasized and reinforced the Government’s suspicions by referring to the establishment of a police force compatible with a democratic system, while Sudan’s police force, established more than 100 years ago, was considered one of the best in the region.

Ulterior motives depicted the whole of Darfur as being in chaos, he said, pointing out that most areas of the region were peaceful.  “We haven’t seen famine, we haven’t seen epidemics, especially among children.”  Voluntary organizations were spreading fiction to solicit more assistance.

Asked what prevented his Government from accepting United Nations forces, the President said the attempt to create an entity with a mandate outside the control of the State of the Sudan was an affront to the country.

He told another questioner that any new forces sent to the country should be African and under the command of the African Union.  While Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter stipulated that the Security Council might request a regional organization to perform peacekeeping functions, Sudan would not accept the presence of an African Union force under the command of the United Nations or any other party.  The Government of the Sudan would not trust any guarantees regarding the introduction of such a force.

Asked to comment on reports that the African Union Peace and Security Council would meet to consider a proposal by the Presidents of South Africa and Nigeria to extend the mandate of the African Union force for a further nine months, he said he had not heard of that mediation effort.  The Sudan’s principled position was that the African Union force should continue its mission.  There had been an attempt to give a negative impression about the Government’s position on the matter, which was that the African Union force should not be transformed into a United Nations peacekeeping operation, and that the African Union itself did not have the authority to permit that.

The mandate for such a transition would have to be given by the Government of the Sudan, he stressed.  If the African Union could not continue with its mission, the alternative was to withdraw.  The Government of the Sudan had not, however, requested such a withdrawal.  “We want the African Union to remain in Darfur until peace is re-established.”

He told another correspondent that the peace accords with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, under which United Nations forces had been introduced into southern Sudan, could not be amended to allow their expansion into other areas of the country without the agreement of the concerned parties.

Another correspondent asked why the Sudanese Government did not wish to allow other forces to replace those of the African Union, which no longer had the capacity to continue with their mission.

The President replied that the African Union forces had performed admirably, but there had been attempts to weaken them by the withdrawal of financing by certain parties.

The situation in Darfur had changed dramatically since the signing of the Peace Agreement in Abuja, he reiterated.  The problems were in the northern half of the Darfur region and the Government could not sit idly by while the two rebel groups which had refused to sign the accord continued to wage war against those who had signed it.  The Government welcomed any support that would strengthen the presence of the African Union, but would not agree to the transformation of the African Union mission into a United Nations peacekeeping operation.

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For information media • not an official record