Sudan denies use of chemicals against southern rebels

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Othman Ismael on Thursday denied that his country used biological and chemical weapons in southern Sudan, adding, "Sudan, in fact, does not own such weapons."

In statements to reporters on Thursday in Khartoum the Sudanese minister denounced accusations addressed to his country by the World Food Organization and other international organizations that the Sudanese army used such weapons against rebels in southern Sudan.

Governmental sources considered these accusations as part of a hostile campaign aimed at finding a justification for interfering in the internal affairs of Sudan. The sources denied the entry of international teams to southern Sudan without the knowledge of the Sudanese government.

For his part, Sudanese Deputy Information Minister Amin Hassan Omar accused Norway's Norsk Fokilhilb organization, which works in southern Sudan, of being behind promoting such accusations in order to achieve benefits for the rebels of south Sudan at the expense of the Sudanese government.

Omar told journalists that the Norwegian company has been known for a very long time to back the rebel movement led by Col. John Garang and to back its call for the split of southern Sudan.

Omar added that this organization seeks to convince certain officials at the UN to take part in the conspiracy, aiming at separating the south and planting seeds of doubts about the intentions and credibility of the Sudanese government.

Omar added that the last thing done by the organization was making the claim that the "Sudanese government is using chemicals and biological weapons in the south."