Aid groups slam draft UN plan on Sudan

Aid groups criticised a revised US draft resolution that tempered a threat of sanctions against Sudan if the government doesn't act to stop atrocities in the western Darfur region.

The Security Council planned to vote Friday on the new draft, which deleted the word "sanctions" but kept the threat of economic action against the African nation unless it disarms Arab militias blamed for killing thousands of black African farmers.

Activists said the resolution wasn't tough enough and relied too much on the Sudanese government.

"Each step of the way it seems to be getting weaker and weaker," said Iain Levine of Human Rights Watch, which has accused the Arab-led government of supporting the militias a claim Sudan denies.

Janjaweed militias have killed up to 30,000 people in Darfur, most of them black Africans, and driven over 1 million from their homes in a 17-month conflict over dwindling resources.

The United States is hoping for unanimous approval, arguing the final version of the resolution maintains the threat of sanctions if not the word. France, Spain, Britain, Chile, Germany and Romania agreed to co-sponsor the resolution, giving it a boost. But Pakistan, China and Russia say Sudan needs more time to stop the killings, rapes and pillaging.

"The initial draft included the word sanctions. It turns out that the use of that word is objectionable to certain members of the Security Council," US Ambassador John Danforth said. "They would rather use 'UN-speak' for exactly the same thing."

Officials from several delegations, speaking on condition of anonymity, but said they expect a minimum of nine "yes" votes, enough to avoid a veto. There are 15 nations on the Security Council.

The international debate came amid new reports of horror. According to an African Union monitoring team, militias "believed to be Janjaweed" chained civilians together and set them on fire earlier this month.