Sudan: African leaders denounce U.N. 'colonization'

By LeiLani Dowell

Leaders of African countries continue to voice their opposition to the imposition of U.N. troops in Sudan.

At a Nov. 19 meeting of Sudanese government officials and members of the Sudan Liberation Army, Libyan President Muammar Qaddafi told participants: "Western countries and America are not busying themselves out of sympathy for the Sudanese people or for Africa but for oil and for the return of colonialism to the African continent. ... The biggest disaster is if the Atlantic army came and positioned itself in Sudan."

Qaddafi continued: "The West exploits tribalism, sectarianism and {skin} color to feed war, which leads to backwardness and Western intervention in a number of countries. All the conflicts in Africa are caused by colonialism, which does not want the rise of the United States of Africa and works for division and interference and for military coups." (Al Jazeera, Nov. 19)

The Associated Press reported on a meeting of the heads of state of the African countries of Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya and Sudan on Nov. 21, saying that "the African leaders support Sudan's cautious attitude toward deploying U.N. troops in Darfur." (Nov. 21)

While agreeing to a combination of African Union and U.N. troops on Nov. 27, Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir reiterated Qaddafi's words, saying that Sudan "should not be the first recolonized country under the banner of humanitarian action in Darfur."(allAfrica.com, Nov. 27)