"Foreigners" using Darfur crisis to intervene in Sudan: Beshir

Thursday June 24th, 2004.

CAIRO, June 24 (AFP) -- Sudanese President Omar el-Beshir has accused unnamed "foreigners" of trying to take advantage of the crisis in the western region of Darfur to intervene in Sudan's affairs, an Egyptian daily reported Thursday.

"Foreign circles, conscious that a new phase has begun concerning the problem of south (Sudan) in a healthy way, are trying to find a substitute gate in Darfur to intervene in Sudanese affairs," he told the Al-Gomhoriya daily.

Khartoum and the Sudan People's Liberation Army are due to start a crucial final round of talks Friday to clinch a definitive end to the 21-year civil war in southern Sudan.

Fighting broke out in Darfur in February 2003 when African rebel groups
-- complaining that their region was marginalised and local people poorly protected -- rose up against the Khartoum government.

The government's response was to give an Arab militia, the Janjawid, a free rein in cracking down on the rebels.

Beshir defended the Janjawid, saying the "problem in Darfur was never an ethnic one and the proof is that there are confrontations between Arab tribes".

He also denied accusations by humanitarian groups that his government was blocking aid from reaching Darfur.

"The government has never put a single obstacle on the path of the humanitarian organisations," Beshir said.

A UN human rights report released last month accused the Sudanese government of committing massive human rights violations in Darfur.

At least 10,000 people have been killed in the western region, although many believe the toll is grossly underestimated.

Another one million have been displaced. At least 120,000 refugees have poured into neighbouring Chad from ravaged Darfur.