Rice seeks Russian, Chinese help on Darfur

April 30, 2006 (WASHINGTON) — The United States, signaling frustration with the world response to the carnage in Sudan’s Darfur region, urged Russia, China and the African Union to do more to end the three-year-old crisis.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made the call as tens of thousands of Americans were expected at rallies Sunday to press for action on the conflict that has left up to 300,000 people dead and 2.4 million homeless.

The United Nations has slapped sanctions on four Sudanese leaders for their roles in Darfur and was discussing a beefed-up peacekeeping force under UN auspices. But Rice made clear growing US impatience.

“We also do need more support, frankly, from other members of the international community, from China, from Russia, which abstained on this (sanctions) resolution.”

“And I was at NATO on Thursday and Friday, we had talk about getting more support from the African Union which has said that they want to see a UN force,” she told ABC television.

Rice said President George W. Bush “has passion” about the Darfur issue and added, “We cannot be in a situation in which we don’t react to this.”

The United States has been pressing to expand a beleaguered 7,000-member African Union peacekeeping contingent in Darfur into a large UN force with greater logistical support from NATO.

But Khartoum, which Washington has accused of genocide in Darfur, has resisted the deployment of the UN force in the region where rebels have been battling government-backed militia.

Rice, who attended a NATO ministerial meeting in Bulgaria last week, said “everybody understands we’re not talking about western forces on the ground.” Washington has suggested the AU remain the core of the operation.

“We will continue to press the Sudanese government, and we’re continuing to not just talk to them, but of course we’re taking some actions against those in the Sudanese government who are responsible for this,” Rice said.