By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS, June 26 (Reuters) - U.S. 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 behavior and working with the United Nations and its partners for the betterment of the people of Sudan." Sudan's U.N. Ambassador Abdalmahmoud Abdalhaleem 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 U.S. officials describe as obstruction of the deployment of a joint U.N.-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. Only some 9,000 out of a planned 26,000-strong UNAMID force are on the ground in Darfur, an area about the size of France. Western states accuse Khartoum of slowing the deployment by insisting on handpicking the nationalities of UNAMID troops. Washington refers to the situation in Darfur as "genocide," which Sudan denies. The Sudanese government puts the death toll in Darfur at around 10,000. "This statement exposes Mr Williamson's ignorance," Abdalhaleem told Reuters. "The situations are different. We have a very fruitful engagement with the international community, with the U.N. ... and the Security Council." 'BROKEN PROMISES' 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 U.S. 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." Abdalhaleem 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." Abdalhaleem also said Williamson, a Republican, was trying to make Darfur an election year issue ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November. Peace talks between Khartoum and Darfur rebels have reached an impasse, U.N. officials reported this week. The negotiations were dealt a serious blow last month when the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) attacked a Khartoum suburb. The government has refused to negotiate with JEM, which it says is backed by Sudan's neighbor Chad, since the attack. (Editing by Todd Eastham)
Refugees who fled the conflict in Sudan's western Darfur region carry water at Djabal camp near Gos Beida in eastern Chad June 20, 2008. Friday marks U.N. World Refugee Day. Reflecting ...
