UN’s Annan pushing Security Council to act on Sudan violence

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 5, 2005 (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan put new pressure on the Security Council on Friday to confront continued violence in Sudan , despite major differences on how to go about it.

For several weeks, the council has been crafting a resolution that would send more than 10,000 peacekeepers to Sudan to monitor an accord reached to end the civil war between the government and southern rebels in the African nation. But they disagree on how best to hold perpetrators of war crimes accountable and whether to implement sanctions -including an arms embargo.

On Thursday, Annan asked to meet with members of the Security Council early next week to talk about moving forward. The U.N. hopes to use a resolution addressing the civil war to help ease continuing violence in the western Darfur region, described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Asked if Annan had called the meeting because he was getting frustrated with council foot-dragging, his spokesman, Fred Eckhard, made clear the secretary-general wants quicker action.

“I think all would agree that not enough is being done to bring the security situation in Sudan under control,” Eckhard said Friday.

“I think he wants to discuss with them what practical options are available to them to act more decisively to deal with the continuing killing and rape that’s going on in Sudan , particularly in Darfur,” Eckhard said.

Several council members have also said they want a resolution soon, but there are major issues of contention. Many council members want to refer suspects to the world’s first permanent war crimes tribunal, the International Criminal Court.

But the U.S., an opponent of that body, wants them tried in a new tribunal in Tanzania, an idea which council diplomats say has little support. Others want no international justice at all.

Meanwhile, China, Algeria and Russia oppose sanctions. Some diplomats say their opposition is the key reason for delay.

The two-year-old conflict in Darfur has forced more than 2 million people to flee their homes and left more than 70,000 dead, mainly from disease and hunger.

Sudan ‘s government is accused of responding to a rebellion there by backing the Janjaweed -camel and horse-riding Arab militiamen -in a campaign of wide-scale abuses against Sudanese of African origin. The government denies backing the Janjaweed.