KHARTOUM, June 6 (Bernama) -- Sudan today hoped that Malaysia will help garner support from other countries to Sudan's cause over the Darfur issue.
Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) deputy chairman Dr Nafie Ali Nafie said that Malaysia, as the current chair of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), was well placed to help the country over the matter in the the international arena.
Dr Nafie, who is also a presidential advisor, said that Khartoum and Kuala Lumpur had very good bilateral relations spanning many areas such as the economy and trade.
"We would like Malaysia to not only support us but also recruit support from other countries," he told Bernama at the headquarters of the NPC here today after a press conference on the Darfur conflict and other issues.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi during his visit to Sudan in mid-April had said that Malaysia hoped that the West would not impose sanctions on Sudanese companies following Sudan's failure to resolve the conflict in Darfur.
Abdullah, who made a short stopover in Darfur during his visit, had also said that major and concerted efforts must be taken by various countries to alleviate the sufferings of the people in Darfur.
According to Dr Nafie, many countries including from Africa, the Arabian peninsula as well Asia were now supporting Sudan's policy in regard to the Darfur conflict after realising the West's, especially the United States and Britain's political agenda in Darfur.
"We are cooperating (with the international community)... and ready to give and take but will not be trapped into disintegration (of our country)," he said.
He said the situation in Darfur was very much better now than that being projected by lobby groups in the US, Britain and in European countries, which according to him, were not keen to solve the problem or help the people there but were more interested in pursuing their own political agenda of a new colonialism.
The conflict, which involves various groups battling each other since 2003, has led to a major humanitarian crisis in Darfur, an arid region in Western Sudan, almost the size of France.
Sudan says that about 9,000 people have been killed in the Darfur conflict so far, but this has been disputed by western countries and aid agencies which claim the figure is much higher than that.
The US and Britain are leading a campaign to impose United Nations Security Council sanctions on Sudan, something not favoured by UNSC members China and Russia.
-- BERNAMA
Sudan Hopes Malaysia Will Help Garner Support Of Other Countries Over Darfur
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