UN to vote for action on Sudan
2004-07-29 21:30
New York - The United Nations security council announced it would vote on Friday on a United States-backed resolution on the Sudan after the US dropped the word "sanctions" from the draft.
But, the council retained a threat of economic action against Khartoum if it failed to disarm Arab militias in the western Darfur region.
The changes in the text were made to overcome opposition in the 15-nation security council to a sanctions threat for which Washington had been pressing.
Some members said Sudan should be given more time to end the violence that some have called ethnic cleansing and even genocide.
Algerian ambassador Abdallah Baali, whose country had been among those opposing the previous text, said he hoped for a unanimous vote.
"At first glance, we feel we are more comfortable with this text than we were with the other versions," he said.
- AP