June 19, 2009 (KAMPALA) – The Ugandan president Yoweri Musievini appeared to be pointing blame to Khartoum over the violence in Sudan’s Western region of Darfur, according to New Vision news portal.
Musievini speaking from Germany where he is on an official visit said that the international community needs to take tough measures against the perpetrators of violence in Darfur.
“Darfur is a real problem to Africa; the international community must find a quick solution. Africans are being displaced from their land,” Musievini said.
He also called for an end to ‘Arab chauvinism against African sovereignty’ in Sudan.
The Ugandan head of state made the remarks during his meeting with Germany’s subcommittee on East Africa.
It is not clear what prompted Musievini’s strong remarks. His government backed the African Union (AU) position against the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
However, Uganda’s position on the issue appeared ambiguous as Musievini said last March that he wants neither to “condemn Bashir” nor “condone his actions”.
He reiterated his position in Germany today saying that African leaders are not dismissing ICC accusations against Bashir but waiting on a report from a panel the AU established last February to look into ways to balance accountability with peace in Darfur.
The Ugandan president stressed that Africans are fair people who do not rush to judge others before hearing from both sides.
He revealed that he raised the Darfur issue during a meeting during the COMESA summit in Zimbabwe.
New Vision quoted Musievini as assuring the committee that a solution can be found for Darfur but that “Arabs should stop their hegemony over the Africans”.
The mainly black African tribes in Sudan’s western Darfur region took up arms against al-Bashir’s government in 2003, alleging decades of oppression and marginalization.
Khartoum responded with a military crackdown and has allegedly sponsored the mainly Arab Janjaweed militia, which is accused of committing atrocities against unarmed Darfur civilians.
The ICC accused Bashir of orchestrating an extermination campaign against the African tribes of Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa. However Sudan denied the charges saying it was suppressing an armed rebellion against the state.
(ST)
حركة العدل و المساواة السودانية
موقع متخصص بنقل آخر الأخبار و البيانات و القرارات لحركة العدل و المساواة السودانية