UN Security Council to vote on Sudan resolution
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-09-18 15:41

The United Nations Security Council will vote Saturday afternoon on a US-drafted resolution, under which it would consider sanctions on Sudan's oil sector if the country fails to curb Arab militias in the troubled western Darfur region.

The 15-nation council would hold closed-door consultations on the resolution, which was finalized after being revised slightly in its wording, a UN spokeswoman said.

The draft demands that the Sudanese government comply with a previous resolution, which was adopted by the council on July 30 calling for the disarmament of the Arab militiamen and the arrest of their leaders responsible for alleged atrocities in Darfur.

The new measure also requests Khartoum to cooperate with an expanded African Union (AU) monitoring mission with a broader mandate.

It declares that if Khartoum fails to comply fully with the July 30 resolution or to cooperate fully with the expansion of the AU mission, the council "shall consider taking additional measures ... such as actions to affect Sudan's petroleum sector" and the government of Sudan or individual members of the government.

A number of council members, including China, Pakistan and Algeria, have expressed reservations about the resolution, which also asks UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to rapidly set up a commission to determine whether genocide had happened in Darfur.

Unlike the initial version, the final text does not propose establishing a no-fly zone over Darfur, an impoverished region bordering Chad. Instead, it urges Khartoum to "refrain from conducting military flights in and over the Darfur region."

It was still unknown whether the United States has got enough votes. Passage of a resolution needs a minimum of nine "yes" votes, without veto from any of the five permanent council members + China, Russia, Britain, France and the United States.

The Sudanese government rejected the new draft resolution, criticizing it as "imbalanced and unfair."

Sudan also denounced the United States for declaring the violence in Darfur as genocide, saying the declaration "poisoned" its peace talks in Nigeria with Darfur's rebel forces. The talks ended without any agreement on Friday and will resume one month later.

The Darfur conflict erupted in February 2003 when two rebel forces, formed by local black tribes, revolted against the government.

Close

Today's Top News     Top World News
Huge sum to be put into social security         Baghdad violence leaves at least 52 dead         New standards on air conditioners released         Putin: Complicit West harbours terrorists         Real estate prices on the rise         National Day holiday marks tourism test	Baghdad violence leaves at least 52 dead       Putin: Complicit West harbours terrorists       US attacks kill many in Iraq       Hurricane Ivan slams Gulf coast; 20 dead       US weapons inspector: Iraq had no WMD       Russian Duma to launch new school massacre probe