Sanctions on Sudan: not yet, says UN

OSLO – The time has not yet come to impose international sanctions against the government of Sudan, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s envoy Jan Pronk said during a visit to Oslo yesetrday.

“You should always keep sanctions in mind as a last instrument but it is not yet time to use the last instrument,” Pronk told reporters following talks with Norwegian foreign minister Jan Petersen. His comments came almost one week after the expiration of a UN ultimatum to Sudan, in which it gave Khartoum a 30-day deadline to disarm its proxy Arab militia, the Janjaweed, withdraw its regular forces from around the camps of the displaced in the western Darfur region, and ensure free access to the area for aid agencies.Peace talks in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, between Darfur’s rebel groups and the Sudanese government were stalled yesetrday over the issue of disarmament, officials from the African Union said.Nampa-AFPHis comments came almost one week after the expiration of a UN ultimatum to Sudan, in which it gave Khartoum a 30-day deadline to disarm its proxy Arab militia, the Janjaweed, withdraw its regular forces from around the camps of the displaced in the western Darfur region, and ensure free access to the area for aid agencies.Peace talks in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, between Darfur’s rebel groups and the Sudanese government were stalled yesetrday over the issue of disarmament, officials from the African Union said.Nampa-AFP