Sudan says tough new US sanctions will backfire
March 29, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — U.S. plans to impose tough
new measures against Sudan to force it to change course on
Darfur will only threaten humanitarian agreements Khartoum has
signed with the United Nations and fuel violence in the region,
the foreign ministry said on Thursday.
on Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and have him accept
an international force in the western province.
“This will have negative repercussions. It will threaten
agreements that we have reached with the United Nations and the
African Union,” said foreign ministry spokesman Ali al-Sadig.
Sudan, which has been accused of hindering humanitarian work
in Darfur, signed a deal with the United Nations on Wednesday on
giving aid groups more access to victims of the conflict in the
region. It reiterated a pledge made in 2004 to take “fast track”
measures such as quicker visas for aid workers.
Bashir has allowed African Union forces in Darfur but has
refused to let U.N. troops in, saying that would amount to
“foreign occupation”.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ali Karti made clear
that he did not sign the humanitarian deal with the United
Nations because of international pressure, signalling that
Khartoum had no intention of bowing to the demands of the United
States and other Western powers.
The United States had threatened an unspecified “Plan B” by
Jan. 1 if Bashir did not agree to a U.N./African Union force in
Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have been killed since
2003 in what Washington says is this century’s first genocide.
That deadline passed but it was Bashir’s comments that he
would not accept a hybrid force that pushed the administration
to roll out “Plan B,” senior officials said.
Khartoum denies the genocide allegations.
Aside from slapping travel and banking restrictions on at
least three more Sudanese individuals, including a rebel leader,
Washington also wants to put more pressure on splintered rebel
groups in Darfur.
“You have to squeeze them all,” said the defence official.
“The goal is to get both Bashir and the rebels to come to the
conclusion that they are not going to get anywhere with their
current course of action.”
(Reuters)