Sudanese Ambassador Threatens U.S. Cola Companies

ABC News reported Friday on a press conference in which Sudan Ambassador, John Ukec Lueth Ukec, said the Sudanese government was not funding the militia that is killing so many in Darfur.

The Arab militia group, the Janjaweed, has been accused of performing genocidal acts against civilians in Darfur. The U.S. has accused the government of Sudan of supporting the Janjaweed. The Sudanese government has denied these charges, reported Russell Goldman, of ABC News.

The Bush administration has asked for sanctions of Sudanese imports. President Bush has urged the U.N. to join in this sanction, according to ABC News.

Ukec said in his press conference that these sanctions would hurt everyone in Sudan, especially the people of Darfur. He was quoted by ABC News as saying, "See how many people are dying in Darfur -- none."

According to ABC News, what Ukec did next surprised everyone. He raised a bottle of Coca-Cola and said, "I want you to know that the gum arabic, which runs all the soft drinks all over the world, including the United States, mainly 80 percent is imported from my country." ABC News said that Ukec claimed he would stop the export of the gum arabic if the economic sanctions President Bush called for, were imposed.

Why is President Bush pushing for these sanctions? The answer may come from another Associated Press story on Friday.

Bradley Klapper, of the Associated Press, reported that 2.5 million people have been displaced and over 200,000 others have been killed since African rebels and the Janjaweed began fighting in 2003.

In the same report, Klapper said refugee agencies are supplying emergency aid to 3,000 refugees in the Central African Republic. Jennifer Pagonis of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, was quoted by the Associated Press as saying, ""Refugees said they will not return to Darfur before basic safety ... can be guaranteed. Many of them expressed fear of further attacks."

Pagonis went on to say that more people are arriving every day. According to the Associated Press, there are over 10,000 refugees in Central African Republic.

This is a travesty that can only get worse unless something changes. However, according to ABC News, the economic sanctions that Pres. Bush is calling for, will most likely have no affect.

According to ABC News, an official from the Finance Ministry of Sudan said, "Our economy is shifting from the USA and Europe to the East. We have almost 70 percent of our foreign trade with the East."

Source: ABC News, Russell Goldman;Flapping Their Gums...:Associated Press, Bradley Klapper;Darfur Refugees Make 125 Mile Trek