Khartoum reacts angrily to US bill

The Khartoum government has reacted angrily to a US bill, passed by the House of Representatives on 7 October, which condemns the country's human rights record and calls on US President George Bush to deny Sudan access to oil revenues if, after six months, it is deemed not to be negotiating in good faith at resumed peace talks. A statement issued by the Sudanese embassy in Washington described the "Sudan Peace Act" as a "hostile, biased and religiously motivated bill" which would prolong the war and the suffering in Sudan. The US had "irrationally" chosen to blame the Sudanese government for the casualties of the 19-year war as well as a possible failure of the peace talks, due to resume in the Kenyan town of Machakos next week, the statement said. A section of the Sudan Peace Act calls upon the US Secretary of State to "collect information about incidents which may constitute crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and other violations of international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict in Sudan, including slavery, rape and aerial bombardment of civilian targets".