Sudan, West in war of words

Sudan and Western powers plunged into a war of words over Darfur yesterday, with Khartoum countering US charges of genocide by saying Washington was playing electoral politics with a humanitarian crisis.

Sudan's Islamist rulers said a finding by US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell of genocide in Darfur was "an isolated position" made in the heat of a presidential election to win African-American votes.

"They should not use a humanitarian problem for a political agenda," Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail told Reuters during a visit to South Korea.

"We know that an election is going on. We know the political parties, the Republicans and Democrats, are competing for the votes of African-Americans," Mr Ismail said.

But while the global dialogue heated up, deadlocked peace talks between Khartoum and Darfur rebels in the Nigerian capital Abuja were suspended as they approached their third week.

The two sides called on African Union (AU) chairman and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to intervene to break the impasse.

The rebels' demands include the disarming of pro-government Arab militias and a no-fly zone over Darfur, while the government wants the rebels to start withdrawing their troops into containment areas.

The rebels began their uprising in February 2003 after years of skirmishes between mainly African farmers and Arab nomads over land and water in the vast and arid western region.

The rebels accuse Khartoum of arming Arab militia known as Janjaweed to loot and burn African villages. Khartoum admits arming some Arab militias but denies links to the Janjaweed, whom it calls outlaws.

The United Nations estimates 1.2 million people have fled their homes and up to 50,000 people have died from direct violence, starvation or illness in what it describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The United States on Thursday declared the violence in the Darfur region was genocide and urged the world to back an expanded African peacekeeping force to halt the bloodshed.

While analysts said the declaration had little legal import, it could influence a UN Security Council debate on a US-proposed resolution. The measure threatens sanctions on Sudan's budding oil industry, which pumps about 320,000 barrels per day, if Khartoum does not stop the abuses.

Britain backed its main ally by saying genocide may have occurred. But junior foreign minister Chris Mullin said London was wary of jeopardising progress that had been made in Sudan.