UN dragging its feet on Darfur crisis: Swedish FM

STOCKHOLM, Sept 7 (AFP) — Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds accused the United Nations on Tuesday of dragging its feet in dealing with the crisis in Sudan’s strife-torn western province of Darfur.

“The atrocious situation in Darfur … was put on the agenda of the (UN) Security Council far too late,” Freivalds told a security seminar at the University of Reykjavik in Iceland on Tuesday.

“But its inclusion on the agenda was, in part, due to the commitment of states that do not have seats on the Council,” she said in comments posted on the Swedish government website.

The UN gave Sudan a 30-day deadline on July 30 to disarm its proxy Arab militia, the Janjaweed, withdraw its regular forces from around the camps of the displaced and ensure free access to the area for aid agencies.

Freivalds last week visited Darfur and the Sudanese capital, where the 18-month conflict between the government, backed by Arab militia allies, and two rebel groups, has forced more than 1.4 million people from their homes and left 30,000 to 50,000 dead.

She has urged the international community to step up pressure on Khartoum to resolve the crisis, rather than impose sanctions.

“It is important for government officials to go to Sudan, for every individual country to go there and show that there is pressure from a united international community,” she said last week upon her return from the region.

On Monday, the United Nations envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk, said it was too early to impose sanctions on Sudan, calling instead for a large observer mission to Darfur.