WASHINGTON -The Bush administration called government-backed Arab militia attacks against black Africans in Sudan's Darfur region genocide yesterday.
The designation by Colin Powell, secretary of state, came as a U.S. proposal in the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions against Sudan-encountered opposition. Powell told Congress that Sudan's government is to blame for the killing of tens of thousands, as well as the uprooting of 1.2 million people.
In recent interviews with 1,136 refugees in neighboring Chad, the State Department found a consistent and widespread pattern of atrocities committed against non-Arab villagers
according to a department report. It added that about one-third of the refugees who were interviewed heard racial epithets while under attack.
Powell said that as a member of the 1948 International Genocide Convention, Sudan is obliged to prevent and punish acts of genocide.
To us at this time it appears that Sudan has failed to do so
he said.
Powell's announcement came as the United States was pressuring the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions on Sudan's oil industry, among other measures.
Such restrictions are opposed by China and Pakistan, Security Council members that import Sudanese oil.
The Bush administration has not seriously considered sending troops to Sudan. The African Union, a continent-wide security group, has dispatched 125 monitors, who are protected by 300 African Union troops, to Darfur.
U.N. envoy Jan Pronk urged Sudan last week to allow more than 3,000 troops into the region to stop violence and to prevent the conflict from escalating.
In Abuja, Nigeria, where Darfur peace talks are under way, Sudanese Deputy Foreign Minister Najeeb El-Khair Abdel Wahab criticized Powell's action.
We don't think this kind of attitude can help the situation in Darfur
he said. We expect the international community to assist the process that is taking place in Abuja
and not put oil on the fire.
The European Union was also critical.
We have not discussed specifically the use of the word genocide
said spokesman Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe. For us
we have noted that there is an extremely serious situation that still requires a huge humanitarian aid effort.
State Department officials acknowledged the possibility that the genocide designation could interfere with U.S. efforts to encourage more robust Sudanese government efforts to protect Darfur's citizens. Powell also recognized that the designation will not lead to any material benefit for Darfur's victims.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said the Darfur crisis could be one of the greatest humanitarian tragedies of all time. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., criticized the administration for not having a presidential special envoy for Sudan.
Darfur has not been a major theme of the presidential campaign. Democratic candidate John Kerry has called for decisive U.S. action to end the suffering.
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