13 May 2009

In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, has echoed voices of millions of his citizens to deny that Khartoum's armed forces have targeted civilians in Darfur.

"I challenge anybody to bring me evidence that proves the Sudanese armed forces attacked and killed citizens in Darfur," he told the BBC's HARDtalk.

The Sudanese citizens have strong views about the ICC's treatment of their leader. Even opposition politicians in Sudan have maintained the issue is not whether Omar al-Bashir is guilty or not, and by all means any individual that is responsible for genocide should be legally charged; but this is an internal affair in a sovereign country with a judicial system.

Many Sudanese hold the view that if the international community is concerned about the situation in Darfur, they should be even more concerned about the safely and the stability of Sudan as a whole once such a warrant has been issued. The safety and stability of the whole country is at stake.

Ali in Khartoum said: "The presidency of any nation, whether that nation is the US or Sudan, is an institution which is over and above any one person. This arrest warrant against President Bashir is an assault on the constitution of Sudan, its presidency, all the institutions that serve to uphold its constitution and more importantly its an assault on its people."

"For a group of lawyers sitting in Europe to believe that they know better and that they are over and above the sovereignty of a nation is an insult to its people", said Ali

In his first TV interview since being indicted on war crimes charges, he dismissed talk of crimes as propaganda.

Mr Bashir was indicted by the war crimes court on 4 March.

He has poured scorn on the International Criminal Court charges, which were the first issued by The Hague-based body against a sitting president.

'Fighting rebels'

In the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, Mr Bashir told HARDtalk: "What has been reported to have happened in Darfur did not actually happen at all.

"What happened in Darfur was an insurgency. The state has the responsibility to fight the rebels."

He added: "We have never fought against our citizens, we have not killed our citizens."

The ICC has accused President Bashir of two counts of war crimes - intentionally directing attacks on civilians and pillage - as well as five counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and torture.

HARDtalk quizzed Mr Bashir about claims the Sudanese armed forces had used excessive force.

The joint United Nations-African Union (Unamid) peacekeeping force has raised concerns over an attack on a refugee camp in Kalma, South Darfur, in August 2008, when 38 people died.

'Human shields'

The Sudanese leader said government forces had been searching for arms used to shoot down a Unamid plane from inside the camp when rebels opened fire.

"Our citizens were used as human shields by the rebels," he said. "Therefore, it was only natural for our forces to carry out their operational duties.

"The shooting started from inside the camp, the soldiers returned fire and yes there were casualties. The issue was resolved with the citizens concerned."

The UN estimates 300,000 people have died in Darfur's six-year conflict and millions more have been displaced.

But President Bashir said figures for casualties in Darfur were "less than one tenth of what has been reported".

"Any talk about crimes committed inside Darfur is a hostile and organised media propaganda to tarnish the reputation of the government and is a part of the declared war against our government," he added.

Mr Bashir is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. It is the first such warrant served against a serving head of state.

Mr Bashir himself has denounced the ICC warrant as part of a neo-colonial Western plot to take over Sudan.

The Darfur conflict began in early 2003, when the government and Arab militias launched a campaign against black-African rebel groups.

Sudan dismissed the warrant as a "neo- colonialist" move to destabilise it and has expelled several foreign aid agencies.