Bolton Dismisses Sudan Briefing, Says Action Needed Instead

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

UNITED NATIONS – Expressing frustration with the Security Council’s inability to address the ongoing genocide in Sudan, America’s ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, yesterday dismissed the need for a briefing by one of Secretary-General Annan’s advisers, telling council members it was time to apply strong action instead.


The clash in the closed-door session ruffled some diplomatic feathers as Ambassador Jean Marc de la Sabliere of France said he regretted that Mr. Annan’s adviser on the prevention of genocide, Juan Mendez, was unable to speak.


“The majority of the delegations wished to hear what Mr. Mendez had to say, but four delegations were opposed to it,” Mr. de la Sabliere said.


Algeria, Russia, and China told the council they wanted to block Mr. Mendez’s briefing, according to one diplomat present in the discussions, and were surprised to find Mr. Bolton siding with them. After hearing only one briefing by a U.N. official, Hedi Annabi from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the council then broke off.


Mr. Bolton had had enough after 15 minutes of procedural discussions on whether to allow Mr. Mendez to speak, he told reporters afterward. “How many officials of the secretariat does it take to have a briefing?” he said. Council members know that the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan continues to deteriorate, he said, suggesting that another briefing and one more council statement do not amount to real action.


Instead, stronger measures than the council was able to agree on so far might be needed, he said.


“We have to consider whether the sanctions we have in place are working and whether other measures should be taken.” After America was unable to unite the council’s 15 members behind strong sanctions to pressure the Sudanese government and rebels in Darfur, the council has decided to apply “targeted sanctions,” but failed to list who should be targeted.


In its strongest action to date, the council referred potential violators in Darfur to the International Criminal Court. America joined that resolution despite its aversion to the court, hoping that it would be followed up by stronger measures to address what Secretary of State Powell defined as “genocide” in Sudan. China, Russia, and Algeria, however, prevented any sanctions and blocked the widening of the mandate of a council approved force of 7,800 African Union troops.


Mr. Mendez told The New York Sun yesterday that the AU force has only deployed 5,500 troops so far. Only half of the 1,500 AU police troops meant to defend the force are on the ground.


The force needs more equipment, such as armed personnel carriers, he said. It also needs to strengthen its mandate. Rather than merely observing and defending against violations it can see, it would be charged with preventing atrocities in the region, Mr. Mendez said.


Yesterday, anti-government rebels in Darfur took hostage 35 members of the AU team and one American adviser, only to release them later. “Both the rebels and the government must understand that if these incidents continue, it would impede humanitarian assistance and delivery,” Mr. Annan told reporters in Geneva.


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