Washington intensifies efforts for imposing oil sanctions on Darfur
Sudan-USA, Politics, 2/3/2005

Washington has intensified its efforts to issue a resolution by the UN Security Council in order to impose oil sanctions on Khartoum with the aim to pressure the Sudanese government "to move seriously" in order to improve conditions and halt violence in Darfur.

The US is contacting intensively UN Security Council permanent members to adopt a new draft resolution which also guarantees freezing assets and embargoing the travel of the Sudanese officials and militia leaders in Darfur and extending the sales of weapons embargo to Khartoum.

Washington relates these contacts to a report by the UN which talked about committing crimes against humanity in Darfur but did not accuse the Sudanese government of total extermination. The committee which is composed of five international judges recommended to bring officials responsible for these practices from all sides to the International Criminal Court.

The UN secretary general Kofi Annan urged members of the UN Security Council to end their differences and move rapidly to halt what he called these practices in Sudan. He demanded in a speech before the Council to account for officials responsible for these practices, considering that not trying them "is but a treason for their victims in Darfur or any other place." In a report he submitted to the council, Annan recommended the deployment of 10,000 soldiers for keeping peace in southern Sudan.

Meantime news reports said that Darfur's rebels killed several days ago, the son of Mousa Hilal, who is on the top list of the US Department Of State which includes names of the militia leaders who are accused of committing violations in Darfur.

Hilal denies the American accusations of having links to the Jangawid militias. The government says he is a leader of one of the tribes of an Arab descent and he is widely reputed and respected in the area.

Previous Stories:
  Washington calls on Khartoum, rebels to stop fighting   (1/28/2005)
  Expected American sanctions on Sudan over Darfur   (1/27/2005)
  Bush signs draft law imposing sanctions on Sudan   (12/24/2004)

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