US rebukes allies for not pressing Sudan to end Darfur crisis

Sept 14, 2006 (WASHINGTON) — The United States chided its allies for not doing more to force Sudan to accept the deployment of UN peacekeepers in its war-torn Darfur region.

“We would certainly hope that the rest of the world would join us in pressing as hard on this issues as we have,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

Washington and Britain pushed a resolution through the UN Security Council late last month demanding the deployment of some 20,000 soldiers and police to help end what they described as “genocide” in the western Darfur region.

But the resolution is conditional on the Sudan government accepting the deployment, something it has steadfastly refused to do despite intensive diplomatic lobbying by Washington.

China and Russia abstained from the Security Council vote because of Khartoum’s opposition to the deployment.

McCormack noted that Sudan ultimately bent to the international community’s will when the UN successfully brokered a 2005 peace agreement between Khartoum and rebels in the south of the country.

“The history of dealing with this Sudanese government has been that they do respond over time to concerted diplomatic pressure,” he said.

“I think it is incumbent upon other member states of the United Nations to match the effort the United States has made on this issue,” he said.

The combined effect of war and famine in Darfur has left up to 300,000 people dead and displaced 2.5 million in three and half years of civil war pitting the Arab-led Sudanese government and allied Islamic militias against local rebels.

(ST/AFP)