Sudanese gov't criticizes new US strategy

KHARTOUM: The Sudanese government Monday criticized the new US strategy toward Sudan, while at the same time said it embodied ideas indicating a change in the US policy.

At a press conference in Khartoum Monday, Ghazi Salahuddin, the Sudanese adviser to president, condemned the new US strategy over the US administration's description of the situation in Darfur as "genocide."

"The term 'genocide' is a misleading and wrong position, and it will isolate America from the rest of the world because there is no country that has adopted the term of genocide," said Salahuddin.

"Generally, we cannot evaluate the ideas embodied in American strategy because the American policy is full of political ideology. America should commit to a principle of neutrality in dealing with the parties to the conflict in Darfur as it is the arbitrator in many issues," he added.

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Salahuddin also pointed out some positive aspects of the new US strategy.

"The new American strategy did not include some of the extreme ideas adopted by the previous US administration such as military intervention and flight ban, and this could be due to a change in the way the administration of the US President Barack Obama thinks," he said.

"Additionally, the strategy reflects unification of the views inside the American administration regarding Sudan, and this facilitates the dialogue between Sudan and the United States. We, on our part, will positively continue the dialogue with Washington, " he said.

In a statement Monday, Obama threatened to put more pressure on Sudan if the Sudanese government did not respond to a new US policy that offers incentives to stop what Washington described as "genocide" and "abuses" in Darfur.

"Our conscience and our interests in peace and security call upon the United States and the international community to act with a sense of urgency and purpose. First, we must seek a definitive end to conflict, gross human rights abuses and genocide in Darfur, " Obama said.

"If the Government of Sudan acts to improve the situation on the ground and to advance peace, there will be incentives, if it does not, then there will be increased pressure imposed by the United States and the international community," the statement read.