American draft resolution to impose sanctions on Sudan
Sudan-USA, Politics, 7/23/2004

The UN secretary general Kofi Annan said that there is a big chance that the UN Security Council will adopt a resolution that threatens to impose sanctions on the Sudanese government.

In a joint press conference with the US secretary of state Colin Powell, Annan explained that " the reaction to the draft resolution were positive and my impression is that it will be adopted." For his part, Powell said that the basic problem in Darfus is the security problem. He indicated that he does not rule out the adoption of the American draft resolution, demanding the international community to unify its voice in this matter.

On comparing the current situation in Sudan to what had happened in Iraq, Powell said that Washington will not be making a military solution, rather pressuring the Sudanese government and urging it to take practical measures to end the crisis.

For his part Annan said that his delegate to Sudan Jan Brunk will submit a report on the situation in Darfur and whether there will be a progress or not. Last Wednesday Brunk said that the Sudanese government made no progress in the commitments it had vowed.

The US submitted to the UN Security Council a draft resolution threatening to impose sanctions on the Sudanese government if Khartoum will not sue leaders of Jangaweid militias in Darfur area in a period not to exceed 30 days.

The draft resolution also recommends imposing immediate embargo of weapons on the militias and any armed group that spreads horror among the civilians in Darfur or governments or persons supporting them.

Meantime, the US foreign office announced that the foreign office secretary Jack Straw will visit Sudan by the end of August to discuss the deteriorated situation in Darfur.

Straw told journalists that London wants the European Union to send a team including military men and civilians to help the African federation in its mission in the region.

This, however, came after the announcement made by the British prime minister Tony Blair that he asked officials in his government to draw plans considering the possibility to interfere in Darfur, including military interference to save the lives of more than one million persons threatened by hunger, disease and the absence of security.

In retaliation to the American and British moves, the Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Othman Ismael accused the US and Britain of practicing injustice measures against his country.

Ismael who is currently visiting France said that the pressure made by London and Washington is almost the same done by the two countries before the war on Iraq. He indicated that the draft resolution submitted to the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Sudan will not serve " our objective, rather will complicate matters."

Previous Stories:
  Washington, London pressure, the UN interferes, Khartoum accuses the Americans of foiling the negotiations   (7/22/2004)
  Washington, London describe situations in Darfur as grave   (7/21/2004)
  Bush urges Sudan to halt violence in Darfur   (7/14/2004)

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