Darfur: Powell to forge ahead
2004-07-31 11:06
Kuwait City - US Secretary of State Colin Powell has vowed on Saturday to forge ahead with efforts to end the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region, despite Sudan's rejection of a UN Security Council resolution threatening sanctions unless it reins in pro-government militia in the region.
"They can say whatever they wish to say. The Security Council has spoken in rather strong vote," Powell said at a joint press conference with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Mohamed Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah.
"The issue is now to move forward and to help the suffering people of Darfur. I hope the Sudanese government will use the time provided in the resolution to do everything it can to bring the Janjaweed under control."
The UN Security Council on Friday warned Sudan to rein in its Janjaweed militia blamed for atrocities in its western region within 30 days or face international action. Thirteen of the 15 council members backed the text.
Khartoum has rejected the resolution as "inappropriate", arguing for more time to implement promises to disarm the militias, and saying a peacekeeping mission or sanctions would only aggravate the situation.
The 53-member African Union (AU) meanwhile appeared set to dispatch a protection force to Darfur next week.
'Restore a sense of security'
Powell voiced his strong support for the AU initiative to settle a conflict that has already claimed up to 50 000 lives.
"I hope the African Union will move forward aggressively as they have said they would in order to help these people and help to restore a sense of security," he said.
"We can have polemics about the resolution but let's not forget the fact that hundreds of thousands of people are in need," Powell said. "They are the ones we need to be trying to help."
Fighting erupted in Darfur in February 2003 when ethnic minority rebels launched an uprising against the Sudanese army and its Arab militia allies.
As many as 50 000 people have died and about 1.2 million driven from their homes in what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
The top US diplomat was speaking following talks with Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah.
Powell flew out of Kuwait on Saturday bound for Bosnia, to continue on to Poland, the last two stops of a Europe and Middle East tour that has also taken him to Hungary, Egypt and Iraq.