There is no military build-up in Darfur

EDITOR—I refer to the New Vision story “UN warns of troops build-up in Darfur” published on Wednesday. The Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan would like to explain the following:

There are no troops build-up in Darfur. On the contrary and according to the recent reports of the United Nations, there is stability and no military operation in the area and there are concrete moves towards peace in the region.

The Sudanese armed forces are always carrying out monthly and routine movements to secure the humanitarian workers and the internally displaced persons in the area. This deployment has nothing to do with any kind of troops build-up in the area. It is also worth mentioning that the rebel movement has also refuted this information of military deployment. The situation in Darfur is very calm. The UNAMID sources that propagate this information depends on incalculable sources as saying “it is like when you look at the sky and see thunder clouds massing”. Maybe they are referring to the sandstorms which is a phenomenon in the area because of the Sahara desert.

We would like to reiterate that the Government of the Sudan is committed to the peaceful settlement of the problem and has no intention whatsoever to go for military action in Darfur.

Abdelrahim El-Siddig Mohamed Omer
Deputy Head of Mission
Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan
Kampala