“The days to come will reveal close contacts between Israel and the rebels,” said Ismail

Additional Reporting By Hamdi El-Husseini, IOL Correspondent

CAIRO, August 8 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Sudanese Foreign Minister Mostafa Othman Ismail accused Israel Sunday, August 8, of fueling tensions in the troubled Darfur region, calling for a greater Arab role to contain the crisis.

Speaking to reporters on his arrival in the Egyptian capital for an emergency meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers on Darfur , the top Sudanese diplomat said information at hand asserted that Israel backed up the main rebel groups in Darfur , Reuters news agency reported.

“The days to come will reveal close contacts between Israel and the rebels,” he said.

A case in point, he added, is the remarks made by the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations during a session on the West Bank separation wall, in which he started his speech with a reference to Darfur and what he termed "Arab atrocities there".

“ Israel , in effect, plays a key role in the Darfur crisis, making the best use of its bustling activities in neighboring Eritrea ,” Ismail said.

Sudan Saturday, August 7, ratified a 30-day action plan to ease humanitarian crisis in Darfur and start disarming militias in the restive western province.

The UNSC threatened Sudan on July 31 with punitive measures if it failed to rein in the Arab militias within one month.

The United Nations has labeled the 16-month-old conflict as the world's worst current humanitarian crisis, amid mixed reports putting the number of people killed at 10,000 to 50,000 and over one million reportedly forced to flee their homes.

But Dr. Hussein Gezairy, Regional Director of World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, told IslamOnline.net Thursday, July 29, that the situation in the restive area did not amount to genocide or ethnic cleansing as claimed.

Arab Action

Haron said Sudan will enlist the Egyptian and Arab expertise to clear any stereotypes about Darfur

Ismail has also called for a greater Arab role in Darfur to thwart potential international sanctions.

He added Darfur was a regional problem and Sudan was discussing it with bodies such as the African Union and the Arab League.

Well-placed sources with the Egyptian Foreign Ministry revealed to IslamOnline.net Saturday that Egypt was drawing up a three-pronged plan to contain the Darfur crisis.

The plan is aimed at beefing up Sudanese efforts in controlling Darfur , raising Arab funds to boost development projects in Darfur and convincing the international community of giving Khartoum enough time to end the crisis.

Sudanese State Minister for Interior Affairs, Ahmad Mohammad Haron also told IOL Saturday that Ismail would keep the Arab Foreign Ministers posted on Sudanese proposals to galvanize Arab and Islamic efforts in the region.

Haron, in charge of the security file on Darfur, further said Khartoum will enlist the Egyptian and Arab expertise to clear any stereotypes created by western media on Darfur.

Egypt has sent up to four planeloads of aid and medical equipment to Darfur .

The first Egyptian medical convoy was sent to Darfur May 5, becoming the first Arab relief aid to the region in 10 years.

Kuwait has sent its second aid convoy to Darfur , including fifteen tones of tents, 40 tones of corn products and 20 tones of wheat, for distribution among the local inhabitants.

This came days after a Kuwaiti Muslim relief group sent aid to the war-torn region to counter blooming proselytizing activity under the guise of humanitarian relief.

African Troops

In his press statements before departing for Cairo , Ismail welcomed African troops to protect observers in troubled Darfur , but underlined any peacekeeping role would be limited to Sudanese forces.

“We have to make a distinction between three categories. The presence of observers, the presence of protection forces for those observers and the presence of peacekeeping forces,” Ismail told reporters in Khartoum .

“We don't have a problem with either the first or the second categories. As far as the third category is concerned ... this is the responsibility of the Sudanese forces.”

The African Union is proposing to send up to 2,000 troops to protect its cease-fire monitors in Darfur and to serve as peacekeepers, but has yet to send an official request to Khartoum .

International pressure was growing on Sudan to get to grips with the humanitarian crisis in Darfur but Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir accused the western powers of using the situation to "target Islam".

Britain said it could send thousands of troops to the region if required, and Australia also said it was considering a UN request for military personnel to join a mission there.

British daily the Guardian reported that British Prime Minister Tony Blair was making the case for a "colonial war" against Sudan because of its growing oil reserves, as there are no signs of highly-touted claims of genocide in the Arab country.

Influential leaders of the US evangelical organizations signed a letter asking President George W. Bush Wednesday to consider a military action against Sudan .