Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed El Bashir has accused the West of exploiting the Darfur crisis in a bid to seize the country's natural resources.

He said the West is using the crisis to try to seize the country's gold and oil, and Britain, which once colonized Sudan, wants to profit from the situation.

The allegation was immediately denied by Washington on Thursday.

Vice-spokesman for the US State Department, Adam Ereli responded by saying "Oil and gold is not the issue. The issue is saving people from disease, starvation, rape and murder."

(CRIENGLISH.com)