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U.S.A to slap new sanctions on Sudan |
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Tuesday, 29 May 2007U.S. to slap new sanctions on Sudan
By Joanne Morrison
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States plans to announce tough new sanctions against Sudan on Tuesday before working out a resolution in the United Nations in an intensified effort to end the bloodshed in Darfur.
President George W. Bush will announce punitive action against 31 companies and four individuals, according to a draft of his speech.
Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's "actions over the past few weeks follow a long pattern of promising cooperation while finding new methods of obstruction," Bush will say.
Sudan quickly criticised the expected sanctions.
"I think these sanctions are not justified. It is not timely," said Mutrif Siddig, a senior official in Sudan's Foreign Ministry.
The ratcheting up of U.S. pressure coincides with a broader effort by United Nations officials to get Sudan's government to end the violence that has devastated Darfur since 2003.
Fighting by government-backed militias and rebel groups in the Darfur region of western Sudan has killed more than 200,000 people and driven about 2 million from their homes. Khartoum disputes the figures and says 9,000 people have died.
Bush and other top U.S. officials have grown increasingly impatient with Bashir's reluctance to stop attacks by Arab militias widely believed to be supported by the government. They have also expressed alarm over splits in rebel groups that have fuelled yet more violence.
Bashir stalled for months in accepting U.N. peacekeeping support packages to the African Union of 7,000, a prelude to a larger force of more than 23,000 troops and police. He received the latest plans for that force from the Security Council on Friday but has said the number of personnel was far too large.
Siddig said U.S. sanctions would not affect Sudan's response to the U.N. proposal for a hybrid peacekeeping force for Darfur and it was "quite possible" to reach a compromise on the force.
Swiss İnfo
29.05.2007 |
Tuesday, 29 May 2007
USA in new strategy for Sudan
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