UN locked in Darfur debate

2007-03-17 12:26

Geneva - Attempts by Sudan and its allies, including Russia and China, to stifle debate on Darfur at the UN Human Rights Council on Friday were thwarted by tough bargaining, a senior EU official said.

Western countries and Sudan's allies locked in a battle of minds at the Council over the follow-up to a mission that accused Khartoum of orchestrating war crimes in Darfur, diplomats said.

An end to the debate would have effectively nullified findings of the Council-appointed mission led by Nobel laureate Jody Williams. Instead, the 47-member assembly was set to continue its debate on Darfur next week.

The mission released a report on Monday accusing Sudan of orchestrating human rights abuses and war crimes in Darfur.

The report also criticised the international community's failure to protect civilians.

Sudan, which blocked the troubled mission from entering the country, has rejected the findings as biased.

Pressure from all sides

Pressure on Sudan was also building in the more powerful UN Security Council in New York.

The United States said on Wednesday that it would seek a UN resolution aimed at forcing Khartoum to allow a UN-led peacekeeping force into Darfur.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday that the international community should take a "far tougher line" against Sudan over atrocities in Darfur to prevent extremism spreading across Africa.

The eight EU countries in the Human Rights Council are now aiming to convince a majority of the 47 nations to at least "take note" of the report, and then act to follow-up on its findings, the EU official said.

- SAPA