Tens of thousands of demonstrators chanting anti-American slogans marched on the UN headquarters in Khartoum yesterday to protest against western troops being sent in to deal with the crisis in Darfur.
The government-sponsored rally took place as the African Union said it would increase troop deployment in Darfur from 300 to 2,000.
The Sudanese government has raised fears of a western intervention in Darfur, although no western country has pledged to send troops.
More than 100,000 protesters gathered in central Khartoum and shouted slogans attacking America and the UN, which has given Sudan 30 days to disarm the Janjaweed, the predominantly Arab militias whose murder, rape and arson has driven more than a million people from their homes. The Sudanese government has used the militias to help suppress a rebellion.
"Annan, Annan, you coward," demonstrators shouted, referring to the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan. "We will not be ruled by Americans."
A senior member of Sudan's ruling National Congress party, Mohammed Ali Abdullah, told the crowd their protest was a warning to George Bush and Tony Blair against invading Sudan.
"Targeting Sudan means you will fall into a third swamp - after Afghanistan and Iraq. There are lions here in Sudan which would like to confront the Americans," he said.
At the UN building the protesters handed in a statement accusing Mr Annan of collaborating with the US and Israel in "expressing enmity to Sudan". Mr Annan drew the world's attention to Darfur in April when he expressed "grave concern" over the scale of human rights abuses.
The statement told the UN leader: "You ... hold all the responsibility for escalating the crisis in Darfur as your remarks formed the basis of the misleading, antagonistic western propaganda against Sudan."
Yesterday's demonstration was sponsored by the Sudanese regime, which has suppressed anti-government protests about the plight of Darfur's African tribes.
In June Sudanese security forces opened fire on students trying to deliver a petition about Darfur to the UN. At least five were injured.
As international pressure on Sudan has mounted, the regime has compared itself to Iraq in the run-up to war and raised fears that the west plans to invade another Arab state.
Sudan's armed forces spokesman, General Mohammed Bashir Suleiman, this week described the security council resolution as "a declaration of war against Sudan and its people" and warned of a jihad against foreign troops.
Gen Suleiman said the 30-day deadline was "a preparatory period" for war against his country, which was "being targeted by foreign powers".
Although Downing Street is looking at military options, no western country has committed itself to armed intervention and none of the 300 troops promised by the African Union has arrived.
Yesterday the union said Nigeria and Rwanda had offered to raise the strength of their contingent. The force aims to protect the union's ceasefire monitors rather than the refugees, although a spokesman said yesterday its mandate may be widened to a peacekeeping role.
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