By: Mona Al-Bashir
President Al-Bashir has stated that peace is stumbling in Sudan because of strong Zionist pressure groups in the United States and some other western countries. "These groups influence the decision-makers and dominate the media in the west. They are dedicated to Zionist-Christian project hostile to Sudan,"
the President Al-Bashir said, pointing out the western media's inflation of Darfur crisis, listing it in the category of genocide, and affirming that to the present date deaths in Darfur have not exceeded 9,000 persons.
At the press conference he held yesterday in Dubai at the conclusion of his visit to the United Arab Emirates, President Al-Bashir reiterated that Darfur rebel factions are receiving aid and support from the International community.
"If we stand accused of supporting the Chadian opposition, who is then supporting the Sudanese opposition with four-drive vehicles and advanced weapons inaccessible to the Sudanese armed forces," he asked. He refuted any ethnic background to the conflict in Darfur and attributed the strife in Darfur to conventional reasons such as disputes over pasture, added to the drought and other climatic causes.
President Al Bashir told journalists that his meetings in Dubai, which he described as successful, discussed issues related to conditions in Sudan such as progress made so far towards implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and unity between the North and South.
He added that Sudan enjoys excellent relations with Emirates in the various political, economic, commercial and cultural fields, noting that the Emirates comes in second rank, after China, in terms of the volume of its investments in Sudan. He further indicated that the outcome of the visit was positive and that visions at those meetings converged over regional issues and the developments in the Arab region, particularly in Palestine. He then stressed the need for making a success of the coming Arab summit and reaching solutions for pending Arab issues, affirming Sudan's participation in the summit with a high-level delegation.
President Al Bashir had on Sunday started a 3-day visit to the United Arab Emirates during which he sat with the Governor of Dubai and other officials.
