Sudan says US armed Darfur rebels

CAIRO – The United States helped train and arm rebels from west Sudan who rose up against the Sudanese government last year, Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bashir said in remarks published yesterday.

“Who else than the United States is behind this … They took rebels to Eritrea, and set up training camps for them, spent money on them, armed them and gave them Thuraya mobiles (telephones) to speak between anywhere in the world,” Bashir told Egypt’s Al-Ahram daily when asked about the involvement of foreign powers in Darfur. The US embassy in Khartoum declined to comment on the report.The Sudanese government has in the past accused Eritrea of arming Darfur rebels who launched their revolt against Khartoum in February 2003, after years of low-level clashes between Arab nomads and non-Arab farmers over scarce resources.Bashir said the conflict had several causes such as tribal disputes and other local factors.The United States has labelled the violence in Darfur genocide, holding responsible the Sudanese government and Arab Janjaweed militia, which Khartoum has been accused of arming.Khartoum has dismissed charges of genocide and says it does not support the Janjaweed, branding them outlaws.Sudanese officials have previously said the United States has exploited the Darfur crisis to further its own political agenda in the region and to exploit the country’s oil and other resources.Sudan produces up to 320 000 barrels a day of crude.- Nampa-ReutersThe US embassy in Khartoum declined to comment on the report.The Sudanese government has in the past accused Eritrea of arming Darfur rebels who launched their revolt against Khartoum in February 2003, after years of low-level clashes between Arab nomads and non-Arab farmers over scarce resources.Bashir said the conflict had several causes such as tribal disputes and other local factors.The United States has labelled the violence in Darfur genocide, holding responsible the Sudanese government and Arab Janjaweed militia, which Khartoum has been accused of arming.Khartoum has dismissed charges of genocide and says it does not support the Janjaweed, branding them outlaws.Sudanese officials have previously said the United States has exploited the Darfur crisis to further its own political agenda in the region and to exploit the country’s oil and other resources.Sudan produces up to 320 000 barrels a day of crude.- Nampa-Reuters