Oil sanctions will harm relief efforts in Darfur: Pronk

KHARTOUM, Sep 20, 2004 (Xinhua) — UN special envoy to Sudan Jan Pronk expressed his reservations over sanctions against Sudan, local Arabic-language newspaper El-Hayat reported Monday.

“It was a fault to resort to imposing sanctions on Sudan unless we lacked all means of persuasion,” Pronk said.

“Oil sanctions may affect fuel supplies, and could lead to the harmness of efforts exerted for food access to people in Darfur,” he added.

He pointed out that the Sudanese government was ready for negotiations on the Darfur crisis in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, however, the rebel groups were more stubborn.

“Khartoum has become more cooperative and was more tolerant for talks with the rebels,” the UN envoy noted.

“I have an impression that the Sudanese government was ready to help resolve the crisis,” he said. “They accepted negotiations without any premature stipulations and accepted the talks scheduled anywhere and anytime.”

He asserted that it has been premature to talk about “genocide”. The UN Security Council passed a US-drafted resolution on the Darfur issue Saturday with 11 member states in support and China, Russia, Algeria and Pakistan abstaining.

The resolution demands Sudan stabilize the situation in the troubled western Darfur region and cooperate fully in expanding the African Union monitoring mission in Darfur.

The resolution’s sponsors have repeatedly stated that the threat of sanction will not be automatically implemented.