A defiant Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir called on Wednesday for Darfur rebels to lay down their arms, during a visit to the conflict-torn region where he stands accused of war crimes.Vowing to develop the region that has been prey to six years of conflict and decades of neglect, Beshir addressed thousands of jubilant militiamen two weeks after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest.
"We want to reunify the people of Darfur and we call on all our sons and brothers who bear arms to put them down," Beshir said on his second visit to Darfur since the warrant was issued.
"We tell them you have taken up arms to demand development and development has now started and it continues," Beshir said, outlining various infrastructure projects already under way.
"Our response (to the ICC) is to bring electricity to Darfur, more buildings, schools, water, more hospitals. We want a reunification of the people of Darfur."
"It's not the US or Britain who chooses the president of Sudan but the Sudanese people," Beshir thundered against two of the countries he sees as the driving force behind his arrest warrant.
"O Beshir, we sacrifice our soul and blood," the crowd replied.
The ICC on March 4 issued an arrest warrant for Beshir for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Darfur conflict, including murder, torture, rape and pillage.
Sudan has vowed not to cooperate with the court.
The United Nations says 300,000 people have been killed and more than 2.7 million people have fled their homes since ethnic minority rebels rose up against the Arab-dominated Khartoum government in February 2003.
No comments:
Post a Comment