The Sudanese ambassador to Washington, Khidr Haron Ahmed, said on Friday that the US House of Representatives' passage of the Sudan Peace Act this week would encourage rebel movement to keep fighting in the south.
The Sudan Peace Act, passed Wednesday, condemns human rights violations by all sides involved in the 18-year-long conflict as well as what it calls government-backed slave raids.
The bill also calls on US President George W. Bush to immediately release $10 million in funds to Sudan's National Democratic Alliance, an umbrella for rebel groups.
The United States last month released $3 million of that amount.
The bill also demands regular reports from the White House on Sudan.
In a statement delivered to the State Department and Congress, the Sudanese embassy in Washington expressed deep regret regarding the resolution, reported the official Kuwait news agency (KUNA).
Ahmed told KUNA that the resolution, if passed through the US Senate and signed by Bush, would authorize the administration to finance the rebel movement with $10 million.
“That is the greatest danger to peace and stability in southern Sudan because the $3 million announced two weeks ago encouraged the rebel movement to leave the negotiating table and refuse all government initiatives to realize peace in the south,” he said.
Ahmed said the movement took advantage of the government's recent unilateral suspension of air raids by attacking civilian areas in Bahr Al Ghazal – Albawaba.com
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