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.
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