Sudan President Denies War Crime Charges

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has denied that his armed forces have targeted civilians in Darfur.

"I challenge anybody to bring me evidence that proves the Sudanese armed forces attacked and killed citizens in Darfur," Bashir said in an exclusive interview for the BBC's HARDtalk program.

In his first TV interview since being indicted on war crimes charges, he dismissed talk of crimes as propaganda.

Bashir was indicted by the war crimes court on 4 March. He has poured scorn on the International Criminal Court charges, which were the first issued by The Hague-based court against a sitting president.

In the Sudanese capital Khartoum, Bashir told HARDtalk: "What has been reported to have happened in Darfur did not actually happen at all.

"What happened in Darfur was an insurgency. The state has the responsibility to fight the rebels."

He added: "We have never fought against our citizens, we have not killed our citizens."

The ICC has accused President Bashir of two counts of war crimes - intentionally directing attacks on civilians and pillage - and five counts of crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and torture.

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