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United Nations: US special envoy for Sudan Richard Williamson said on Thursday the Sudanese should follow North Korea's example and boost their cooperation with the international community - remarks that annoyed Khartoum.
"We call the attention of the government of Sudan to the steps taken by [North Korea] today," Williamson said in a statement, referring to Pyongyang's decision to hand over a long-delayed account of its nuclear activities.
"The government of Sudan can also make this same determination to work with the international community by changing its behaviour and working with the United Nations and its partners for the betterment of the people of Sudan."
Sudan's UN Ambassador Abdul Mahmoud Abdul Haleem rejected Williamson's comparison with the reclusive communist state of North Korea, saying his words were "not helpful at all".
Washington has been urging Khartoum to stop what US officials describe as obstruction of the deployment of a joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force (UNAMID) in Sudan's western Darfur region, where international experts believe 200,000 people have died during five years of conflict.
'Fruitful' engagement
"The statement exposes Williamson's ignorance," Abdul Haleem told Reuters. "The situations are different. We have a very fruitful engagement with the international community, with the UN ... and the Security Council."
Williamson suggested Sudan could reap rewards if it followed through on promises to allow UNAMID to fully deploy and help protect food convoys with aid for some 2.5 million displaced Darfuris in camps around the region.
He told Khartoum to take note of the fact that in the case of North Korea US President George W. Bush's policy of "actionable steps for actionable steps" showed it would not simply take the word of governments "with a long trail of broken promises".
Abdul Haleem accused Williamson of undermining the Darfur peace process. "Interference by people like Williamson will complicate the situation rather than helping it," he said, adding that Sudan's engagement with the international community "has been spoiled by people like Williamson".
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