Sudan condemns EU threat of sanctions

Jan 23, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan decried Tuesday European Union threats to impose sanctions against Khartoum if it refuses deployment of UN troops in war-torn Darfur region.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ambassador Ali al-Sadiq has condemned threats by EU to impose sanctions against Sudan. He said he wondered why such a statement was coming from the EU as it was part of the peace process and was involved in the signing of the Abuja Peace Agreement and the arrangements made regarding its implementation.

commenting the statement issued by the EU council of foreign ministers, Al-Sadiq said the EU knows that there was an agreement and arrangement between the government, the AU and the UN regarding the conflict in Darfur and there was progress made in these arrangements where packages of UN support to AU were agreed upon to enable the AU carry out its duties as per the Abuja Agreement.

EU foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels on Monday 22 January, threatened Sudan with sanctions if it refused to allow U.N. peacekeepers into war-torn Darfur.

An ill-equipped African Union force has failed to stem the violence and protect aid workers. EU foreign ministers said Khartoum should accept a U.N. plan for a hybrid African Union-United Nations force in Darfur.

A senior European Commission official noted that AMIS “is virtually bankrupt” and suggested the force’s funds will probably only last until “the end of January, beginning of February.”

(ST)