Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Britain Backs U.S. on Darfur Sanctions

By CLARENCE ROY-MACAULAY
The Associated Press
Wednesday, May 30, 2007; 12:57 PM

LUNGI, Sierra Leone -- Britain supports a U.S. proposal to impose U.N. sanctions against the government of Sudan for its role in Darfur's bloodshed, a spokesman for Tony Blair said Wednesday as the prime minister arrived in Sierra Leone.

President Bush announced Tuesday the United States would draft the U.N. resolution, saying the Sudanese government has been complicit in atrocities against civilians and has been uncooperative with international efforts to end the Darfur crisis.

Britain "fully supports U.S. efforts to address the desperate situation in Darfur in the Security Council," the spokesman said before Blair arrived in Lungi, near Sierra Leone's capital of Freetown.

"We hope that all members of the (U.N. Security Council) will work with the U.S. to create a resolution which will effectively address the challenges in Darfur," he said on condition of anonymity in line with British government policy.

Aides said Blair would try to build support for action to stop Darfur's violence during his tour of Africa, which began in Libya and ends later this week in South Africa. more

To stay up to date on the crisis in Darfur please visit The Coalition for Darfur