Sudan says media distorting Darfur

Dubai: Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Beshir has accused foreign media and interests of aggravating the crisis in Darfur.

''In comparison with the death toll and the number of refugees in Iraq due to the US occupation, what is going on in Darfur doesn't merit mentioning, Al Beshir said, branding ethnic cleansing in Darfur as “a big lie propagated by the media and the Zionist-Crusade axis.''

“Exaggeration of violence in Darfur is an attempt to distract world attention from violence in Iraq, Palestine and other areas in the Arab-Muslim World,'' he told reporters here Tuesday.

Regarding efforts to establish normal relations with the US, Al Beshir said, “I don't think it's right to have tense links with an influential power like the US…we are talking with them towards the end of having normal relations but this should be made in a way that protects our sovereignty and national interests.''

He said that Khartoum would participate in the upcoming Arab summit in Damascus.