Annan rejects US suggestions he visit Darfur now

By Evelyn Leopold

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 22 (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday rejected an immediate trip to Sudan, as the United States suggested, saying the Security Council first had to take new decisions on stopping the conflict in Darfur.

Violence is escalating in Sudan’s western Darfur region, with relief convoys attacked and peace talks stalled while 1.8 million people have been forced to leave their homes. The Africa Union is deploying monitors and troops but is still far short of the 3,300 personnel expected.

U.S. representative Stuart Holliday said after a council session on Tuesday it might be time for Annan to visit Darfur as he did last summer. That trip resulted in new agreements on humanitarian access.

But Annan told reporters the United Nations and the council should conduct a “real reassessment” of its actions towards Sudan “because quite frankly our approach is not working” and further measures had to be considered.

“And I think that exercise should be done here, not by a trip to the situation on the ground,” Annan said. “Obviously they are not mutually exclusive and whenever a trip will be helpful, I am always ready to do it. But I think, at this stage, the reassessment has to be done here.”

Annan said the council also might consider measures to put pressure on combatants and “hold some of the individuals who are responsible.”

“These kinds of decisions and actions have to be decided here and taken here, and so, whilst a trip to the region may some time be necessary, the reassessment is urgent,” he added..

Annan on Tuesday told his year-end news conference the council could also consider sanctions, which it had threatened, against specific individuals engendering violence. To date, Russia, China, Pakistan and Algeria oppose penalties.

ARMS EMBARGO?

Some council members said that with the recent military build up by the Sudanese government, an arms embargo might be adopted. While a weapons embargo is hard to enforce, they say it might stop some nations from shipping heavy arms to Sudan.

According to an Amnesty International report last month, Russia and China are the main suppliers. It said Khartoum had imported 12 MiG29 fighters from Russia as recently as July while China over the past decade has exported more than 40 fighter jets and dozens of helicopters to Sudan.

The crisis in Darfur was sparked in February 2003 when two rebel groups took up arms against the government in a struggle over power and scarce resources. Khartoum retaliated by arming militia, accused of conducting a campaign of murder, rape and arson against villagers.

Another alternative council members have discussed is a referral to the International Criminal Court, whose existence Europeans support but the Bush administration vigorously opposes.

Annan is expected to release a report on violence in Darfur before the end of January that will probably include names of suspected perpetrators. The report would also evaluate whether genocide has taken place there.

After that, European diplomats say they are headed for a showdown with the Bush administration in the Security Council about how to prosecute perpetrators of atrocities in Darfur if the ICC alternative is disregarded.

The Hague-based ICC came into existence a year ago as the first permanent global criminal court to try individuals for genocide, war crimes and massive human rights abuses.