Sudan UN Ambassador Al-Fatih Erwa and US UN Ambassador Richard Holbrooke
Shake hands after the UNSC election blocking Sudan
News Article by AFP posted on October 12, 2000 at 14:08:53: EST (-5 GMT)
Sudan charges US used intimidation to deny Khartoum Security Council seat
KHARTOUM, Oct 12 (AFP) - The Sudanese government charged
Thursday that
the United States succeeded in denying Khartoum a seat
on the UN Security
Council by waging a campaign of "temptation and
intimidation."
"The temptation and intimidation course of action pursued by
America,
denying Sudan membership of the Security Council and using
Mauritius for the
purpose is aimed at disintegrating the African
Continent," the foreign
ministry said in a statement here.
The ministry warned that such a US
policy would have "grave
repercussions on the African Continent in the
future," but stressed
that Sudan would "remain committed" to the principles
of the UN and
the Organisation of African Unity.
It thanked the countries that supported Sudan's candidacy
"despite the
pressures exerted by America."
Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir was quoted in newspapers here
Thursday
as saying Washington had intimidated or financially tempted
"some African
nations" when Sudan refused to withdraw its
candidacy.
Beshir told journalists accompanying him Wednesday on an
internal flight
to Khartoum from the south that US opposition defied
Africa's will and was
"an open interference in the African affairs."
Sudan's Information Minister Ghazi Salah Eddin Atabani noted in
a
statement to the press that the battle was not between Sudan and
Mauritius
but rather "between the Sudan and America and between the
African nations and
America."
"America might have won a satellite state in the Security
Council but has
certainly lost moral fame," he added.
Foreign Minister Mustafa Ismail told reporters Thursday that
"money has
gained victory and so did Mauritius," but said Mauritius
would thus "be
isolated in Africa."
With the US campaign succeeding on Tuesday at the United
Nations,
Mauritius will replace Namibia, one of five elected members
of the council
whose two-year term ends on January 1, 2001.
A US State Department communique last week opposed Sudan's
membership on
the grounds that Sudan is under UN sanctions for
alleged terrorism and that
its forces have shelled civilian targets
in the south.