France doubtful sanctions against Sudan best solution for Darfur crisis

PARIS, July 8 (AFP) — France expressed doubt Thursday that international sanctions against Sudan might improve the situation in the violence-wracked western Darfur region.

“In Darfur, it would be better to help the Sudanese get over the crisis so their country is pacified rather than sanctions which would push them back to their misdeeds of old,” junior foreign minister Renaud Muselier told Radio France Internationale.

“I am not sure that that position (of sanctions) is the best one given that the (Sudanese) government has started a peace process between the north and the south.”

Muselier’s comments appeared to undermine moves for sanctions proposed by the United States and Britain.

On Wednesday British Prime Minister Tony Blair said sanctions should be imposed on Sudan if the Khartoum government did not lift obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian aid to the thousands of displaced people in Darfur.

A draft UN resolution proposed by the United States calls for an arms and travel embargo on the pro-Khartoum Janjaweed Arab militias which have been killing and raping black Africans in Darfur, with the possibility of extending the sanctions to the Sudanese government.

Germany has backed the text, and called for the arms embargo to be imposed on all of Sudan.

More than 10,000 people are estimated to have died in Darfur and more than a million driven from their homes since a revolt against the Arab-dominated government broke out among indigenous ethnic minorities in February 2003.