US President George W. Bush tightened US sanctions against Sudan yesterday and sought support for new international penalties out of frustration at Sudan's refusal to end the bloodshed in Darfur.
"The people of Darfur are crying out for help and they deserve it," Bush said.
In brief remarks at the White House, Bush followed through on a threat made six weeks ago to pursue tougher action against a government he said was complicit in the bombing, murder and rape of innocent civilians.
"My administration has called these actions by their rightful name: genocide. The world has a responsibility to help put an end to it," he said.
Washington will toughen enforcement of existing sanctions; bar another 31 companies, including oil exporters, from US trade and financial dealings; and take aim at two top Sudan government officials, they said.
"President Beshir's actions over the past few weeks follow a long pattern of promising cooperation while finding new methods of obstruction," Bush said in remarks prepared for delivery from the White House reception room.
The two officials expressed guarded optimism that the new punitive measures would compel Sudan to accept the deployment of a hybrid UN-African Union force, end support for the Janjaweed, and let humanitarian aid reach Darfur.
The Darfur conflict has cost at least 200,000 lives and forced more than 2 million people from their homes, according to the UN, though Sudan contests those estimates, saying 9,000 people have died.
Washington's sanctions will be "effective tomorrow" -- even as US diplomats launch an all-out effort to win support for a new UN resolution, including efforts to overcome possible Chinese resistance, one top US official said.
From a US perspective, a new UN resolution would apply new multilateral financial sanctions against Sudan and the three newly targeted individuals and expand an existing arms embargo from individuals operating in Darfur to any sales to Sudan's government, the official told reporters.
It would also impose UN measures to prevent the government in Khartoum "from conducting any military flights over Darfur," the official said in a conference call.
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