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U.S. Drops Sanctions From U.N. Resolution By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer UNITED NATIONS - The United States dropped the word "sanctions" from a draft U.N. resolution on Sudan on Thursday due to opposition on the Security Council, but it retained a threat of economic action against Khartoum if it fails to disarm Arab militias in Darfur.
The Security Council announced it was ready to vote Friday on the resolution,
which has been revised four times in the past week as the United States sought
to overcome objections.
Pakistan, China and Russia argued that the 15-nation Security Council argued
that Sudan should be given more time to end the violence that some have called
ethnic cleansing and even genocide.
In Kuwait, Secretary of State Colin Powell (news
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sites) told reporters the United States acquiesced in the change from
"sanctions" to "measures" because the latter word was more acceptable to a
broader number of Security Council members.
He acknowledged that there is concern in Egypt and some other countries that
too much pressure on the Sudanese government could cause internal problems that
would make the situation worse.
"At the same time, everybody recognizes that pressure is needed or else we
wouldn't get any action at all," Powell said.
Algerian Ambassador Abdallah Baali, whose country also opposed the previous
text, welcomed the new version and said he hoped for a unanimous vote. "At first
glance, we feel that we are more comfortable with this text than we were with
the other versions," he said.
U.S. and British officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said
Pakistan, Russia and China still had reservations but they were confident the
minimum nine "yes" votes could be obtained.
The new draft would still call on Sudan to disarm Arab militias blamed for
rampant violence in the western region of Darfur.
It requires U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news
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sites) to report every 30 days "and expresses its intention to consider
further actions, including measures as provided for in Article 41 of the (U.N.
Charter) on the Government of Sudan in the event of noncompliance."
The previous text had specifically threatened "the imposition of sanctions."
The draft also would impose an arms embargo that would apply to individuals,
groups or governments that supply the pro-government Arab militias known as
Janjaweed or rebel groups.
The Janjaweed have staged a brutal campaign to drive out black African
farmers over the last 17 months. At least 30,000 civilians, most of them black
villagers, have been killed, more than 1 million displaced and some 2.2 million
left in urgent need of food or medical attention.
U.S. Ambassador John Danforth insisted the changes did not weaken the text
and said he hoped for a unanimous vote to send a strong message to the Sudanese
government to stop the violence.
"It's the potential of sanctions in 30 days," he said, reading the article
from a copy of the U.N. charter. "The government of Sudan must fulfill that
responsibility to the people of Darfur. If it does not then there will be
consequences."
Measures included in the 68-word Article 41 exclude the use of armed force
but say "complete or partial interruption of economic relations ... and the
severance of diplomatic relations" could be considered.
Danforth stressed the importance of "starting the clock ticking," with the
30-day clause, saying it was crucial to increase pressure on Sudan to rein in
pro-government Arab militias who have killed thousands in a brutal campaign
against black farmers in Darfur.
Sudan's U.N. Ambassador Elfatih Mohamed Erwa criticized the resolution
Wednesday, saying it was politically motivated. He said his government would
work with the African Union to stop the violence.
"We are going to work with the African Union, not because there is a set of
sanctions, but because we believe that this is the right path," he said.
Egypt, which is not on the Security Council but wields great influence in the
Arab world, also said it would try to prevent a resolution threatening sanctions
from being adopted.
The Sudanese government, which has accused the international community of
meddling, has promised to disarm the militias and says sanctions will only hurt
those efforts.
The new draft also retains a clause calling on Sudan to "fulfill its
commitments to disarm the Janjaweed militias," as it told Annan it would do on
July 3.
The Darfur conflict stems from long-standing tensions between nomadic Arab
tribes and their African neighbors over dwindling water and farmland. Those
tensions exploded into violence in February 2003 when two African rebel groups
took up arms over what they regard as unjust treatment by the government.
U.S. and humanitarian officials have accused the Sudanese government of
backing the Janjaweed, a claim the government denies. The Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" |
