UN votes for sanctions on Darfur offenders

UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security Council has voted to impose a travel ban and an asset freeze on those responsible for atrocities against civilians in Sudan's Darfur region or who violate a cease-fire there.

The vote was by 12 to 0 with three abstentions: China, Russia and Algeria.

The sanctions will come into effect in 30 days, after a list of offenders have been drawn up by a Security Council committee including all members of the 15-nation body.

The US-drafted resolution would also strengthen an arms embargo on Sudan and forbid the Khartoum government from offensive military flights into Darfur.

It says the Sudanese government should notify the Security Council before sending military equipment to the western region, where tens of thousands of people have been killed and some two million have been herded into squalid camps.

"We are pleased that 12 members of the council voted to adopt this resolution," US envoy Stuart Holliday told reporters. "We hope it will put the appropriate pressure on all the parties to the Darfur conflict to end this tragic chapter. "

Sudan's UN ambassador, Elfatih Erwa, said the resolution was passed under pressure from the US Congress, which "does not know the history, the culture of the people...or does not understand it. "

He said the Africa Union, which is fielding some 2000 monitors and soldiers in Darfur, did not support sanctions, although council members Tanzania and Benin voted in favour.

China's UN ambassador, Wang Guangya, told reporters the sanctions would not contribute to peace.

"Our concern is that when we apply measures, if the measures are not positive in the sense of being constructive, we find it difficult" to vote in favour, Wang said.

The measure would also create a panel of four experts to travel regularly to Darfur, other locations in Sudan and to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the African Union is based, to monitor requirements in the resolution.

Last week the Security Council authorised 10,000 troops to monitor a peace agreement for southern Sudan, also torn by conflict, but it has had difficulty agreeing on action in Darfur.

Council members remained deadlocked over where to try perpetrators of atrocities, with France having introduced a resolution to send war crimes suspects to the International Criminal Court, which the United States may veto.

A vote is expected on Wednesday on the French draft, supported by European nations.

The French draft provides an exemption in Sudan from the ICC for such nations as the United States, which US officials indicated was not strong enough.

The Bush administration rejects the court, the world's first permanent criminal tribunal set up in The Hague to try war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. It fears US citizens could face politically motivated prosecutions.

Nine council members have ratified the treaty creating the ICC -- Argentina, Benin, Brazil, Britain, Denmark, France, Greece, Romania and Tanzania. They hope Russia, Japan or the Philippines would also vote in favour.

- REUTERS