Foreign powers 'pursuing hidden agenda in Sudan'

Khartoum: The Darfur issue can only be solved with the implementation of the Abuja accord and not by replacing African Union forces with UN forces, said the political adviser to the Sudan president.

Despite some reports that Sudan may agree to allow UN forces, Dr Magzoub Al Khalifa, who is laso Chairman of the Sudan Government's negotiating team that signed the Darfur Peace Agreement in 2006, categorically said that the UN forces are not the solution to an internal social and economic problem which has been made into a political issue by some foreign powers and international non-governmental agencies.

Speaking to Gulf News, Al Khalifa said: "The government of Sudan is very serious about implementing the agreement immediately and progress has been made in power sharing, security and development of infrastructure.

He, however, admitted that there were delays - as per the agreement it should have come into force within three months of the signing - due to various factors.

First and foremost, he said, the main groups or movements who signed the agreement first went to "Arab, African, European and American countries before coming to Sudan in August. Moreover, they have between 15 to 19 minor groups, which are not very effective."

Despite the slow start, Sudan was on track to solve its internal problem, he stated, but foreign powers put a spoke in the wheels by internationalising the issue.

"During the period of transition, the focus shifted to the replacement of the African Union forces by the UN forces," Al Khalifa said and this set a chain reaction leading to UN Resolution 1706.

Commenting on the remarks made on Wednesday by Joseph Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a Democratic presidential candidate, for the use of US military force to end the sufferings in Darfur, Al Khalifa pointed out that it is part of a "hidden agenda".

He stated that it is no secret that US and other European countries are following a new path of exploiting the oil and mineral wealth of African countries and as such they are targeting Sudan, Chad and the sub-Saharan states.

"All these countries have a Muslim majority and they think that they are all terrorists. We all know what the US and its allies are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan, but they won't be able to do the same with Sudan since they don't have the resources.