Bashir Hits Out at Peacekeepers in Darfur Election Rally
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Wednesday lashed out at international peacekeepers in Darfur during an election speech in El Fasher, one of the war-torn region's main towns.
Bashir told supporters at an election rally that the United Nations and African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) wasn't needed to solve the unrest plaguing the region, where insurgents have battled his government since 2003.
"Do you need someone to tell you how to find reconciliation between yourselves? Do you need UNAMID? Do you need the African Union? Do you need the United Nations?", Bashir asked.
Hundreds of supporters shouted back: "No!"
"We teach peace and you teach reconciliation and no one will come and tell you how do these," he said to cheers from the crowd.
Khartoum last year ordered UNAMID -- first deployed in 2007 -- to prepare to leave after the mission's attempts to investigate reports of a mass rape in North Darfur angered the government.
Talks between the government, the AU and the U.N. started last month on the peacekeepers' departure.
Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in the western region, was speaking in the state capital of North Darfur.
Hundreds of supporters attended, with some arriving on camels and cheering on from their mounts.
There was a heavy police and military presence in El Fasher ahead of the speech, with heavily armed security forces positioned around the town.
The rally came ahead of nationwide elections for the presidency as well as state and national parliaments in which Bashir is seeking reelection.
With the mainstream opposition boycotting the vote and a handful of little-known hopefuls contesting the presidency, Bashir is widely expected to win another term.
Mostly black African rebels launched a campaign against Sudan's Arab-dominated government in February 2003, complaining they were being marginalized.
North Darfur state saw a surge in violence at the start of the year after government forces launched an offensive in the area.
On the campaign trail, Bashir has promised stability across the country if he wins another term.
The still unresolved conflict in Darfur has been complicated by rising criminality in parts of the western region, as well as inter-tribal violence.
Some 300,000 people have died in the Darfur conflict, the U.N. says, with another 2.5 million forced to flee their homes due to the unrest.
Source: Agence France Presse
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