US against sanctions on Sudan officials -diplomats
April 5, 2006 (UNITED NATIONS) — The United States is opposing the inclusion of any Sudanese official on a potential U.N. Security Council sanctions list of individuals blocking peace in Darfur, two diplomats said on Wednesday.
Britain and other nations on a council sanctions committee have recommended a list of eight names of people including some government officials who would be subject to a travel ban and an assets freeze. All 15 council nations have to approve.
The United Nations is trying to halt atrocities in Sudan’s western region of Darfur where the government is accused of backing Arab militia, known as Janjaweed who have raped, killed and driven more than 2 million African villagers from their homes.
But the United States recommended for the sanctions list just one middle-ranking Janjaweed militiaman and a rebel fighting opposing the militia, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the secrecy of the process. The names were not disclosed.
Washington expects to include names of government officials in the future, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. It wants to be able to gradually increase pressure on Sudan and to make sure there is a solid case against any people on the sanctions list, he said.
Richard Grenell, spokesman for the U.S. mission to the United Nations, said, “Stay tuned.”
“Although it is a bit too early to talk about specific names, the next action will be a down payment for the full purchase of justice and accountability,” Grenell said.
The Security Council a year ago made its opening move on the Darfur crisis by asking an expert panel to make a list of those most responsible for the crisis.
The panel returned in December with a list that recommended for sanctions Sudan’s interior minister, defense minister and the chief of Sudan’s Mukhabarat intelligence agency, among others.
One of the names on the list is Maj. Gen. Sala Abdallah Gosh, the intelligence chief, who diplomats and news reports have said has been collaborating with U.S. government in its war on terrorism.
A senior U.N. diplomat said he doubted the relationship with Gosh accounted for U.S. hesitation on the list.
Russia, China and Qatar, the only Arab member of the council, appear to want to ditch the sanctions list altogether, diplomats said.
China’s U.N. ambassador, Wang Guangya, said there were more-pressing priorities in the effort to stop Darfur conflict, such as humanitarian relief and peacekeeping. “We do hope that other issues that some members have will not in a way play a role that might derail the process,” Wang said on Tuesday.
(Reuters)