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UN closer to Darfur resolution
28/07/2007 09:08 - (SA)
New York - With Western nations dropping earlier threats of sanctions against Khartoum, the UN Security Council is edging closer to consensus on a draft text authorising joint UN-African Union peacekeeping in Darfur.
"We are working intensively to finalise the text," said Britain's outgoing UN Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry, the lead sponsor of the draft resolution on Friday. "We would like to see the text adopted early next week."
A diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity said a vote on the toned-down text could come as early as Tuesday, the day when Britain's new prime minister, Gordon Brown, is due to visit UN headquarters to deliver a major foreign policy speech.
Facing strong domestic pressure from the Save Darfur coalition and members of Congress, Washington, joined by Britain, initially pushed for a tough line to ensure Khartoum stick to its June agreement to allow a joint 26 000-strong UN-AU force known as UNAMID in the strife-torn Sudanese western region.
But tough stances taken by governments in capitals are often deflated by the requirements of UN multilateralism, which lead to inevitable compromise, diplomats noted.
A Darfur text drafted by Britain last month called for unspecified "further measures" against Sudanese parties that would fail to fulfil their commitments or cooperate fully with the resolution.
But it became clear that the draft would have to substantially softened to attract broad support, particularly from African council members and from veto-wielding China, a close ally and energy partner of Khartoum.
On Tuesday, the sponsors, Britain and France, backed by the United States, withdrew the sanctions threat after a long bargaining session with South Africa, Ghana and Congo.
- AFP
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