NYALA: Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir stressed on Wednesday his full commitment to realizing security, stability and development in the western Sudanese region of Darfur. He made the remarks when addressing a rally of local residents at the Sabdo area in South Darfur State during his second visit to the restive region since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him on March 4. The president reiterated his total rejection of the allegations of the ICC against him, terming the ICC move as "a plot against the unity of Sudan." "We respond to (General Prosecutor of the ICC Luis Moreno) Ocampo and his assistants in the Sabdo area today with more projects of development, reconstruction and expansion in building infrastructure and providing basic services including education, health and respectable livelihood to the Sudanese people in general and Darfur in particular," he announced. Bashir said that the allegations of the ICC was a conspiracy targeting Sudan and its unity after the country had take real steps in the development of infrastructure and services to achieve real life of dignity for his people. He underlined his country's "ability to overcome all difficulties and hardships brought by enemies from abroad, who wanted to tear the country's unity." He said that the people's rally at Sabdo would "send a message to the international community to assure them of the unity of the Sudanese people." "What has happened in Darfur is the work of the devil," he said, calling on the people of Darfur overpass the bitterness of the past, reject the racism, and advance towards the reconstruction, development and education to eliminate illiteracy and ignorance. The president also called on the members of the armed rebel movements to put down their weapons to participate in the development and construction. He pledged to provide all basic services and health education to the children of nomad tribes to remove the barrier of illiteracy.
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