Sudan denounced a UN Security Council resolution that gave the government 30 days to stem ethnic violence in the western Darfur region or face sanctions, saying Khartoum needed international help, not threats.
Sudan said the resolution, passed 13-0 on Friday, violates a previous agreement with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in which the UN promised to crack down on the militias who have killed thousands of people and forced more than 1 million to flee.
"Sudan expresses its deep sorrow that the issue of Darfur has quickly entered the Security Council and has been hijacked from its regional arena," Information Minister El-Zahawi Ibrahim Malik said in a statement.
But the violence has continued despite a cease-fire called last month and Sudanese promises of a crackdown. The African countries on the council -- Algeria, Angola and Benin -- backed the US-sponsored resolution.
"We believe that the international community cannot be passive and indifferent to the ongoing humanitarian crisis ... or to the horrendous crimes committed against the civilian populations," Algerian UN ambassador Abdallah Baali told the council on behalf of the three countries.
The US didn't specify what sanctions might be considered but said the council issued a tough warning to Sudan to rein in the militias, known as Janjaweed.
Meanwhile, France on Friday ordered its troops stationed in Chad to provide security along the border with the Darfur region, as Khartoum vowed a general mobilization against any foreign military intervention.
French President Jacques Chirac ordered the mobilization of troops already stationed in Chad to assist with the situation.
France also said it would make military transport available to bring in humanitarian aid.
Some 200,000 Sudanese have fled the fighting to Chad, where their security is also precarious.
Asked about the Sudanese rejection of the Security Council resolution, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said in Kuwait that the Security Council had delivered a strong message.
"They [the Sudanese] can say whatever they wish to say," Powell said. "The Security Council has spoken, in a rather strong vote. The issue now is to move forward and help the suffering people of Darfur. I hope Sudan will use the time provided in the resolution to do everything it can to bring the Janjaweed under control."
The resolution demands that Sudan disarm the Arab militias and requires states to prevent the sale or supply of weapons and ammunition to individuals and groups, including the Janjaweed, operating in the Darfur region.
The document was adopted after extensive debate over the use of the word "sanctions," which the US removed from its final version after several countries objected to the explicit threat. The US and other supporters, however, insisted that the threat of sanctions remain.
"The resolution in stern and unambiguous terms puts the Sudanese government on notice," US ambassador John Danforth said. "Sudan must know that serious measures -- international sanctions -- are looming if the government refuses to do so."
The resolution requires Annan to report to the Security Council every 30 days on Sudan's progress.
The CIA has a message for Chinese government officials worried about their place in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) government: Come work with us. The agency released two Mandarin-language videos on social media on Thursday inviting disgruntled officials to contact the CIA. The recruitment videos posted on YouTube and X racked up more than 5 million views combined in their first day. The outreach comes as CIA Director John Ratcliffe has vowed to boost the agency’s use of intelligence from human sources and its focus on China, which has recently targeted US officials with its own espionage operations. The videos are “aimed at
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo on Friday expressed concern over the rate at which China is diversifying its military exercises, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Saturday. “The rates of change on the depth and breadth of their exercises is the one non-linear effect that I’ve seen in the last year that wakes me up at night or keeps me up at night,” Paparo was quoted by FT as saying while attending the annual Sedona Forum at the McCain Institute in Arizona. Paparo also expressed concern over the speed with which China was expanding its military. While the US
SHIFT: Taiwan’s better-than-expected first-quarter GDP and signs of weakness in the US have driven global capital back to emerging markets, the central bank head said The central bank yesterday blamed market speculation for the steep rise in the local currency, and urged exporters and financial institutions to stay calm and stop panic sell-offs to avoid hurting their own profitability. The nation’s top monetary policymaker said that it would step in, if necessary, to maintain order and stability in the foreign exchange market. The remarks came as the NT dollar yesterday closed up NT$0.919 to NT$30.145 against the US dollar in Taipei trading, after rising as high as NT$29.59 in intraday trading. The local currency has surged 5.85 percent against the greenback over the past two sessions, central
RSS