U.S. calls for Friday vote on Darfur U.N. measure
By Evelyn Leopold
UNITED NATIONS, July 29 (Reuters) – The United States scheduled a U.N. vote for Friday on its resolution threatening sanctions against Sudan if it did not stop atrocities in Darfur after changing contentious language to get support.
Having faced opposition from seven countries in the 15-member U.N. Security Council, U.S. officials on Thursday revised the draft resolution for the third time and deleted the word “sanctions.”
But the measure still carries the threat of unspecified sanctions against Khartoum in 30 days through more cumbersome language, such as pointing to provisions in the U.N. Charter on economic, communications or diplomatic sanctions.
“The initial draft included the word sanctions. It turns out that the use of that word is objectionable to certain members of the Security Council,” U.S. Ambassador John Danforth told reporters. “They would rather use U.N. speak for exactly the same thing.”
What is unclear is whether the cosmetic softening of language is acceptable to all council members, many of whom had argued that Sudan needed a chance to reign in Arab militia, called Janjaweed, accused of killing thousands of black civilians.
Diplomats said Pakistan, Russia and China still had problems with the text but no one was expected to veto the measure.
A minimum of nine votes is needed for adoption and the United States said it would call a vote on Friday morning. Britain, France, Germany and Spain will co-sponsor the measure.
SUDAN SAYS NEEDS TIME
Pakistan, China, Russia, Algeria, Angola and the Philippines had opposed the sanctions threat. Brazil objected to the resolution being under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which makes its directives mandatory for all U.N. members, council diplomats said.
At least 30,000 civilians have been killed in Darfur, 1 million are uprooted from their villages and 2 million need food and medicine. The Janjaweed are accused of killing, raping and driving black Africans into barren camps in Darfur, in the west of Sudan.
The U.S. Congress has branded the violence genocide and called for a multinational force to go to Darfur.
Sudan has lobbied strongly among council members, saying it needed time to fulfill commitments made to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan earlier this month to disarm the militia, allow access to humanitarian groups and start talks with the rebels.
“Quite a number” of council members including Beijing had suggested dropping the word “sanctions,” Chinese Deputy Ambassador Zhang Yishan told Reuters on Wednesday.
Some envoys suggested dropping the word would give diplomatic cover to those objecting to the resolution.
The U.S.-drafted resolution circulated to council members would consider further actions against Sudan in 30 days if Khartoum does not disarm the Janjaweed and prosecute their leaders.
These include “measure provided for in Article 41” of the U.N. Charter, which says the Security Council can impose sanctions, short of armed force, that could include trade embargoes, severance of diplomatic relations and other measures.
The measure also places an immediate arms embargo on militia and rebels in Darfur, where government forces and Arab militia have been battling a rebellion since last year.