CAIRO, 1 August 2004 — Concern is growing in Egypt that an escalation of the crisis in Sudan’s western Darfur region could create an Iraq-type scenario on its doorstep. Foreign intervention in the region would create “an implosion,” according to Mursi Attallah, editor in chief of the semi-official Al-Ahram Al-Massai daily.

Mustafa Allawi, a political analyst at Cairo University, agreed that any such intervention “would turn Sudan into a new breeding ground for terrorism and instability in the region.”

The UN Security Council on Friday gave Sudan 30 days to rein in the pro-government Arab militia known as the Janjawid, blamed for atrocities in the region, or face international action. The United Nations has called the situation in Darfur the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The conflict has left up to 50,000 people dead and forced 1.2 million people from their homes, according to the world body.

Sudan has rejected the threat of sanctions and has vowed to send its army to oppose any foreign military intervention. The UN resolution also jostled Cairo into diplomatic action.

The Sudanese government yesterday accused Eritrea of aggravating the crisis in Darfur by training rebel fighters and by pressurizing their leadership not to engaged in a serious peace dialogue with Khartoum. “The Eritrean government has been and is training Sudan’s young Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement-Army (SLM-A) fighters to boost their military might and to directly involve themselves in political leadership decision-making,” Sudanese ambassador to Ethiopia and African Union Osman Elsayed Fad Elsayed charged in Addis Ababa yesterday.

“Quite recently, the Eritrean government pressurized the rebel leadership not to fly to Addis Ababa to attend the July 15 peace talks, when the United States had already sent an aircraft to pick them up,” Elsayed told a press conference in the Ethiopian capital.

Elsayed said the Sudanese government has presented documented evidence to the United Nations and African Union of Eritrea’s involvement in the Darfur crisis and has requested the two bodies to take appropriate measures against Eritrea.

The SLM-A and the main southern Sudan People’s Liberation Army rebels — members of the opposition National Democratic Alliance, held a conference in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, in mid-July, as part of a long-running series of negotiations aimed at ending Africa’s longest civil war.

The JEM has not joined the NDA, but also attended the conference, where the two Darfur rebel groups urged that the talks between them and Khartoum be moved to another venue, because of the closeness between the Ethiopian and Sudanese governments.

Sudan’s foreign minister said in Khartoum yesterday that the JEM rebels have spread fighting to the east of Africa’s largest country after joining forces with another rebel group. The JEM, one of two main rebel groups fighting Khartoum in the Darfur region, made an alliance with an eastern rebel group at an opposition conference in Eritrea two weeks ago.

“We have intelligence reports that they (JEM and the eastern group) have already started these (military) activities with the help of the Eritrean government,” Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail told reporters in Khartoum. He said Sudan had informed the United Nations of the developments in the east.

The eastern rebel group, called the Sudanese Free Lions Association, is made up of Beja tribesman who share many of the same grievances of western rebels, accusing Khartoum of neglecting the impoverished area. The group fought against the government during the 21-year war with southern rebels but had largely ended its military activities as part of peace accords between Khartoum, southern rebels and their allied forces.

Meanwhile, French soldiers stationed in Chad began efforts yesterday to take aid to people from Darfur by flying relief material to Abeche near the border, their commanders said. An airlift between Chad’s capital and the town started when a Hercules C-130 transport plane flew 12 tons of supplies to Abeche, destined for people in nine refugee camps, Col. Philippe Charles said.

The military action came “in the framework of strengthening logistical aid to UN agencies” helping the people of Darfur, where the world is facing its worst current humanitarian crisis according to the United Nations, Charles said.