More fallout from Special Envoy Gration’s hearings in a Time Magazine interview with President Bashir:
Sam Dealey, Time correspondent: On the issue of Darfur, in testimony last week before the Senate, the United States Special Envoy Scott Gration said he no longer believed that genocide is taking place in Darfur. Do you feel vindicated?
Omar al-Bashir, Sudan’s president: First, we appreciate General Gration’s courage. We know that these facts are rejected by influential centers of power. We stress the fact that the situation in Darfur proves that there is no genocide or ethnic cleansing. The evidence is that displaced citizens from areas where there was fighting, and it is natural that in any area where there is military combat, civilians will emigrate, these citizens emigrated to government controlled areas under the Sudanese Army, the police and local authorities. The movement of citizens toward government-controlled areas seeking security is evidence that the government could not be responsible of such acts.