News Article by AFP posted on October 09, 2000 at 12:41:47: EST (-5 GMT)
Sudan slams US for opposing Sudanese seat on Security Council
KHARTOUM, Oct 9 (AFP) - The Sudanese government on Monday
bitterly
criticised the United States for lobbying against its bid
for an African seat
in the UN Security Council.
"The United States is waging a fierce diplomatic offensive to
bar the
Sudan from occupying the African seat in the Security
Council," Information
Minister Ghazi Salah Eddin Atabani charged in
a statement.
Sudan is in line for a two-year temporary seat on the council
when five of
the 10 non-permanent members come up for election in
early October.
Atabani, who is the government's spokesman, said his country "is
confident
of its just case and of the support by the African
nations, despite pressures
being exerted by America."
Ghazi said it was "astonishing" the case against Sudan was built
on
accusations from "the country which destroyed the pharmaceutical
plant in
Khartoum in 1998 (and) still evades investigation into the
incident."
He was referring to a US State Department communique last week
opposing
Sudan's membership on grounds that Sudan is under UN
sanctions for alleged
terrorism and that its forces have shelled
civilian targets in the south.
In the wake of deadly terrorist bombings of US embassies in
Nairobi and
Dar es-Salaam in August 1988, US forces slammed missiles
into the
pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum alleging it was
manufacturing chemical
weapons.
The official spokesman claimed the UN sanctions were
imposed
"unilaterally" by the United States which, according to
Atabani,
objects to a proposal now before the Security Council for
lifting
those sanctions.
"An attempt to deny a nation its legitimate right to gain a
Security
Council membership in a democratic manner constitutes a
setback to the
democratic values the United States pretends to
sponsor and also constitutes
a genuine test to the UN principles of
equality of all member nations," the
spokesman said.
Atabani said his country is seeking a Security Council
membership "in
compliance with an African desire."
China, the United States, France, Great Britain and Russia are
the only
permanent members of the 15-seat council. Candidates for
non-permanent
council members are chosen by regions on a rotating
basis; Africa and Asia
each get to choose one candidate this year.