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 The United States, Britain and France countered that any new sanctions would have to be balanced and target all those blocking progress to end the five-year conflict
-- including the Sudanese government.
The council urged the government and rebels to observe a cease-fire, refrain from hostilities, and respect international law. It also urged "the speediest possible deployment" of a 26,000-strong peacekeeping force in Darfur, whose main mission is to protect civilians.
Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, the current council president, read the council statement after a briefing by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Edmond Mulet.
Mulet painted a grim picture of increasing violence, slow deployment of the joint African Union-United Nations force, and little progress in a political settlement of the Darfur conflict which has claimed over 200,000 lives and displaced 2.2 million people.
Sudan's Arab-dominated government has been accused of unleashing the janjaweed militia of Arab nomads against Darfur's ethnic African communities in the fight with rebel groups.
Mulet cited an upsurge in violence in West Darfur. During February, there was also "a marked upsurge" in violence in South Darfur and inter-tribal fighting in North and South Darfur, he said.
A political solution is crucial, Mulet said, "but with the government intent on military action and the rebels either fighting or fragmenting, it is difficult to see an opening for political negotiations"
-- and the AU-U.N. peacekeeping operation alone "cannot bring security to Darfur."
Sudan's U.N. Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamed called Mulet's assertion that the government is seeking a military solution "a lie," insisting it is committed to the peace process. But he said the government will respond militarily to the continuing rebels attacks on civilians.
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 Mulet said normalization of relations between Sudan and neighboring Chad "is essential if international efforts to restore stability are to succeed."
During closed-door consultations after Mulet's briefing, Churkin said, Russia was the only delegation to raise "the need of contemplating sanctions against the rebel groups who are challenging the peace process." He wouldn't say what sanctions Russia was considering.
The Security Council adopted a resolution in March 2005 authorizing an asset freeze and travel ban on individuals who defy peace efforts, violate international human rights law, or are responsible for military overflights in Darfur. Four men accused of orchestrating killings and other abuses in Darfur have been subjected to sanctions
-- a former air force commander, an Arab militia chief and two rebel commanders. The council has also imposed an arms embargo against the government and rebels.
U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said the United States is "open-minded with regard to individuals or groups that are an obstacle to the peace process ... but we also believe that we have to be open-minded with regard to pressures, sanctions on the government."
"It is the government that's bombing ... that is working with janjaweed militias ... (and) is causing in Western Darfur thousands to leave their homes," Khalilzad said.
[Associated
Press; By EDITH M. LEDERER]
Copyright 2008 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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