KHARTOUM (AFP) — President Omar al-Beshir vigorously defended Sudan on Thursday after his state apparatus was accused of crimes in Darfur, telling UN ambassadors that his country was tarnished by a vicious campaign.
Not once mentioning the International Criminal Court, whose chief prosecutor on Thursday lambasted Sudan before the UN Security Council in connection with crimes against humanity, Beshir insisted the situation in Darfur was improving.
"My country has been subject to an unfair and intentional campaign. This vicious campaign has tried to exaggerate and distort facts. It has tarnished the image, heritage and values of our people," he said.
The campaign is led by people "bent on exploiting the conflict in Darfur to serve their own agenda," said the head of state, dressed in a white robe and with 15 representatives of the UN Security Council seated to his right.
In New York, ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo said that upon request his office would present new evidence exposing the facts and identifying those most responsible for the "massive crimes" being perpetrated in Darfur.
Three years after the situation in the western Sudanese region was referred to the Council, "massive crimes are still being committed in Darfur," he said.
Ocampo said such crimes over a period of five years throughout Darfur have "required the sustained mobilisation of the entire Sudanese state apparatus."
He pleaded with the UN Security Council to demand that Khartoum arrest two Darfur war crimes suspects, secretary of state for humanitarian affairs Ahmed Haroun and Janjaweed militia leader Ali Kosheib.
They are charged with 51 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including acts of murder, persecution, torture, rape and forcible displacement.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Khartoum to "cooperate" with what is the world's first permanent war crimes court.
But Sudan rejects the ICC's jurisdiction and refuses to surrender the men.
"The humanitarian situation (in Darfur) is witnessing a clear improvement, as shown by the absence of epidemics, anger and food shortages," insisted Beshir.
The United Nations says up to 300,000 people have died from the combined effects of war, famine and disease and more than 2.2 million have fled their homes since the Darfur conflict broke out in February 2003.
Sudan says 10,000 have been killed.
Referring to reported casualty statistics in the western region torn apart by five years of war, Beshir accused those claiming huge numbers of being unprofessional and harming the credibility of the United Nations.
The Darfur conflict broke out when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated regime and state-backed Arab militias, fighting for resources and power in one of the most remote and deprived places on earth.
On Thursday, the UN ambassadors visited peacekeepers and victims of the conflict in Darfur and expressed frustration over dire insecurity.
Five months after the force known as UNAMID became operational on December 31, only 7,600 troops and 1,500 police are on the ground -- barely a third of the projected total of 19,500 soldiers and 6,500 policemen.
"We don't have the resources and these poor people are more vulnerable now than before, so I'm very frustrated," said South African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo, the chief delegate, after visiting Zam Zam camp for the displaced.
"The international community is to blame," he added.
Besides an offer from Ethiopia for a few utility helicopters, UNAMID lacks the air transport and cover desperately needed to support troops across the vast terrain with limited roads, and other transport vehicles.
The World Food Programme has been forced to half rations because banditry made the roads increasingly dangerous.
The Council spent around 45 minutes at Zam Zam, where they were ushered into a special enclosure and small thatched hut to meet about 30 local leaders but there was criticism that the diplomats did not tour the camp.
British Ambassador John Sawers was the only Council member who broke away with some bodyguards for a 15-minute visit inside.
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