US signals impatience with UN efforts on Darfur hybrid force

By Wasil Ali

May 16, 2007 (WASHINGTON) — The US warned today that its patience on getting Sudan to fully accept the deployment of UN-AU hybrid force is not “open ended”. US State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey told reporters that the time for diplomacy on this issue is “running out”.

President Bush said on April 18 that he would give Sudan’s president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, “a short period of time” to meet several conditions. Bush outlined several measures that the US will impose against Khartoum if it fails to agree to a full deployment of United Nations peacekeeping forces.

Casey declined to provide a timeline before the US administration moves to imposing additional sanctions against the Sudanese government. However he stressed that the US does not see “any fundamental change in the view of the Sudanese government”.

The U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Andrew Natsios told the US Senate in early April that Washington will give the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon “two to four weeks” to engage in diplomacy with Sudan.

The US administration is under fire from lawmakers and human right groups for the continuous delays in sanctions against Khartoum. US officials recently revealed to Reuters that the White House may proceed with sanctions as early as next week pending a decision from President Bush.

(ST)