*EPF509 09/03/2004
U.N. Sanctions on Sudan Remain Strong Possibility, Danforth Says
(U.S. ambassador says security situation in Darfur unresolved) (470)

By Jim Fisher-Thompson
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- The question of U.N. sanctions against the Sudanese government because of that government's failure to stop the violence in Darfur remains open, according to Ambassador John C. Danforth, U.S. Representative to the United Nations and a former special U.S. envoy to Sudan.

"The prospect of sanctions [against the Khartoum Government] is out there. Whether sanctions would be imposed next week or the week after or next month, that prospect is out there," Danforth told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York City September 1.

According to a U.N. press release, Danforth explained to reporters, "Now under the Security Council resolution certain obligations were put on the government of Sudan, the same obligations that Sudan committed itself to with the joint communiqué with the Secretary General. It hasn't met those obligations: the disaster of Darfur continues; people continue to be abused; the security problem has not been solved; the number of displaced persons has increased."

"The information that we have is that the [Sudanese] government has been directly involved in military action against civilian villages," he continued. "So the situation has not been fixed, and it continues to be the world's leading humanitarian disaster and the world's leading example of one country abusing its own people."

Asked if the U.S. government planned to follow up with another resolution calling for increased African Union (AU) involvement or other measures, Danforth responded: "Our government is considering precisely what would be in a resolution. We are clearly very focused on this subject."

Quoting the Sudanese ambassador saying his government would not oppose an expansion of the AU force as long as it kept to the same mandate of monitoring the ceasefire, a reporter asked if such a solution would be acceptable to the United States.

Danforth replied that the primary goal was to get personnel into the region as quickly as possible without Sudanese interference in providing visas, access and transportation. "The issue is getting real people on the scene, whatever you want to call these people, and people who have credibility in the eyes of the people of Darfur."

Danforth added, "I'm always concerned and I have always taken the position that monitoring is essential and that is why an outside presence is so important in Darfur. It's not just saying well, put in your own people because obviously the people of Darfur aren't going to have any confidence in that. But, yes, put in your own people, put in police, but have a sufficient outside presence, especially the African Union presence, so that somebody's going to be looking at what's going on to guard against exactly the kind of issue that you've raised."

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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