2007年VOA标准英语-Sudan Denies Accusing US of Backing Coup Plot

By Nick Wadhams
Nairobi
16 July 2007

Allegations of U.S. involvement in an coup¹ plot in Sudan are being denied by both the U.S. Government and the Khartoum government. The allegations were made by a Sudanese Presidential assistant, who accused the United States of backing a plot to assassinate² members of President Omar al-Bashir's government. A U.S. embassy statement categorically denied any connection with what it called the "alleged³ conspiracy⁴." As Nick Wadhams reports from our East Africa bureau, Sudan's government has also rejected the allegations of U.S. involvement, but has detained several people on charges of plotting a coup.

Sudanese authorities arrested 14 people Saturday, including the leader of the opposition⁵ Umma Reform and Renewal⁶ Party, on charges that they were smuggling⁷ weapons into the capital Khartoum in preparation for a coup. Retired⁸ army officers and a former tourism minister were also detained.

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Mubarak al-Fadil (file photo)

The government says the plotters wanted to create enough unrest in Sudan to compel intervention⁹ by the international community. It says officials from Libya exposed the plot after one of the chief conspirators¹⁰, Mubarak al-Fadil, turned to it for financial help.

The Paris-based Sudan Tribune Web site reported that presidential adviser Nafi Ali Nafi had told the al-Jazeera news channel that Washington was behind the plot.

But Foreign Ministry¹² spokesman Ali Sadiq Ali said no such allegation was made.

"It is not correct," said Sadiq. "Mr. Nafi did not mention any country by name, so it is not true that Mr. Nafi has mentioned the United States. The investigations¹³ now are going ahead with those people and I do not think any name will be disclosed. To the best of my knowledge as spokesman of the Foreign Ministry I have no idea that the government of Sudan has mentioned any particular country in this issue."

The alleged leader of the coup plot, Mubarak al-Fadil, had recently moved his party away from its initial pro-government stance and had sought to reunite with an opposition group that it had broken with in 2002. He had been a presidential adviser, but was fired in 2004 after purportedly¹⁴ making contacts with the United States without Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir's consent.

The government was also said to be angered by recent comments in which Fadil criticized the government's handling of the Darfur crisis.

Mr. Bashir, who came to power in a 1989 bloodless coup, wields¹⁵ virtually all political power in his nation and has repeatedly accused his opponents of planning to overthrow¹⁶ him. In 2005, 28 people were arrested on allegations of a coup plot.

On Friday, U.S. envoy¹⁷ to Sudan, Andrew Natsios, said Sudan has resumed bombings against civilians¹⁸ in its western Darfur region. He said Arabs have begun to occupy lands in Darfur that were previously¹⁹ occupied by non-Arabs.

1 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

2 assassinate   

vt.暗杀，行刺，中伤

参考例句：

• The police exposed a criminal plot to assassinate the president.警方侦破了一个行刺总统的阴谋。
• A plot to assassinate the banker has been uncovered by the police.暗杀银行家的密谋被警方侦破了。

3 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

4 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

5 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

6 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

7 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

8 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

9 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

10 conspirators   

n.共谋者，阴谋家( conspirator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The conspirators took no part in the fighting which ensued. 密谋者没有参加随后发生的战斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The French conspirators were forced to escape very hurriedly. 法国同谋者被迫匆促逃亡。 来自辞典例句

11 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

12 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

13 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

14 purportedly   

adv.据称

参考例句：

• This is purportedly the oldest tree in the world. 据称这是世界上最古老的一棵树。 来自互联网
• Mayor Oh Se-Hoon launched the campaign last year, purportedly to improve efficiency. 据悉，首尔市市长吴世勋于去年提出了这项旨在提高工作效率的计划。 来自互联网

15 wields   

手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的第三人称单数 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响）

参考例句：

• She wields enormous power within the party. 她操纵着党内大权。
• He remains chairman, but wields little power at the company. 他还是主席，但在公司没有什么实权了。

16 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

17 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

18 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

19 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。