United States Seeks Sanctions on Sudan Officials
19 April 2006
Draft resolution names four linked to Darfur violence, U.S. envoy Bolton says
By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent
United Nations -- U.S. Ambassador John Bolton presented a draft resolution to the Security Council April 18 that would impose sanctions on four Sudanese deemed responsible for atrocities in Darfur.
The names of the four individuals are known to the U.N. Security Council, but have not yet been released by the council's Sudan Sanctions Committee, Bolton told journalists after a closed door council meeting April 18.
"We would like to move as quickly as possible to impose sanctions on these individuals," the ambassador said. But he acknowledged that much work lies ahead to get the nine votes and to avoid a veto from any of the five permanent members (China, France, Russian, Britain, and the United States) – conditions required to pass a resolution.
The sanctions, which involve freezing assets and travel restrictions, were authorized by the council in Resolution 1591, adopted in March 2005. According to the resolution, sanctions can be imposed upon individuals who impede the peace process, constitute a threat to stability in Darfur, violate international humanitarian and human rights laws or commit other atrocities, or conducted banned military flights over the region.
China and Russia already have voiced opposition to the sanctions under a so-called "silence procedure." The United States circulated the names of the four individuals to all 15 members of the Security Council on April 13. If no country had objected after 48 hours, the sanctions would have automatically gone into effect. The procedure expired at 4 p.m. EDT April 17.
After China and Russia objected, Bolton said that the United States would submit the names in a resolution to be voted on by the Security Council. Both the sanctions committee and the Security Council are expected to discuss the draft resolution April 19, but no date has been set for a vote.
"We've been trying to get this process in gear for a year and we think that the list of four names that was submitted by a number of delegations last week is a solid list," Bolton said. "It's a down payment; it's certainly not the end of the sanctions process."
The four individuals are identified in the draft resolution given to journalists only by affiliation: Sudanese Air Force, Jalul Tribe in North Darfur, Sudanese Liberation Army, and the National Movement for Reform and Development. The names will be inserted when the council is ready to vote, Bolton said.
PEACE TALKS, CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT
The Security Council also was briefed by African Union Special Envoy Salim Ahmed Salim, who is the chief mediator of the Darfur peace talks. Salim told the council that the marathon talks are in "the home stretch" and the conflict "seems at last to be ripe for resolution."
"We have done all the talking that can be talked about. We have gone through every alternative, now the time has come to make decisions," he said.
The African Union has set an April 30 deadline for a cease-fire agreement. (See related article.)
"Decisions mean accommodations, decisions mean concessions -- concessions on the part of the government, concessions on the part of the movements. The conditions for that are there," Salim said.
Asked whether imposing sanctions at this time could hinder the talks, Salim said that "sanctions as an instrument can help in some circumstances, but when it should be deployed is up to the Security Council's judgment."
"Sanctions can help send the right message to the spoilers -- look you cannot get away if you do something that is contrary to the expectations of the international community. Sanctions can also help to harden the positions of some involved," he said. "So ... one has to strike the right balance."
Salim also called attention to the challenges facing the international community should a agreement be reached, especially in helping the African Union peacekeeping forces and peace building.
For more information, see Africa, and Darfur Humanitarian Emergency.
(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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