U.N. Sanctions Four Men In Darfur

The U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions Tuesday on four men accused of atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region, the first time it has moved to punish those responsible for three years of conflict that has left 180,000 dead.

China and Russia had initially opposed the sanctions, but chose to abstain Tuesday instead of casting vetoes. Qatar also abstained, saying it did not see enough evidence that the four men were involved.

The vote strengthens the Security Council's credibility, said CBS News foreign affairs analyst Pamela Falk from the U.N. "Because Russia, China and Qatar chose to abstain rather than oppose the resolution, it shows that the Security Council can act even without unanimous agreement on the role of sanctions."

"Major U.S. demonstrations are set to support the African Union peace talks this weekend, and to take the Sudanese government and rebel leaders to task for the tragedy that has been unfolding in western Sudan for three years," said Falk, who added that the talks are "complicated by the targeting of U.N. forces by the newly-released Bin Laden tape and the fact that some perceive the battle as an African verses Arab conflict."

The four who face sanctions are accused of helping orchestrate and carry out killings, rape and other abuses in Darfur. The conflict between rebels and government-backed militias has caused about 180,000 deaths — most from disease and hunger — and displaced 2 million people.

"This resolution demonstrates that the Security Council is serious in its efforts to restore peace and security in the region," U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said. "We regret that the vote today was not unanimous but we do not think it will deter the Security Council from fulfilling its responsibility."

The sanctions are the first imposed by the U.N. Security Council since it 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.

China and Russia feared that the sanctions could complicate Darfur peace talks currently under way in Abuja, Nigeria. The African Union and the Security Council have demanded that an accord be reached by April 30.

Diplomats said they dropped their objections, however, after African nations expressed support for the sanctions.

They were also appeased by a statement from the council expressing support for the talks. According to the statement, the council "urges the parties to make speedy progress in concluding a Darfur peace accord."

Last year, a U.N. panel recommended that 51 people be prosecuted for war crimes in the Darfur conflict, including senior government officials. But council members could only agree on the four.

They are Gaffar Mahammed Elhassan, former commander of the Sudanese air force's western region; Sheikh Musa Hilal, a Janjaweed chief of the Jalul tribe in North Darfur; and two rebel commanders

Adam Yacub Shant of the Sudan Liberation Army and Gabril Abdul Kareem Badri of the National Movement for Reform and Development.

Bolton said the United States could seek more sanctions, an idea that Britain backed. Other nations were more cautious.

Despite abstaining, the Chinese and Russian ambassadors told the council that they still had deep reservations.

"In our view, there is the feeling that the adoption of this resolution might have a negative impact on the prospects for concluding a peace agreement within the time period," Russia's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Konstantin Dolgov said.

Decades of low-level tribal clashes over land and water in the Darfur region erupted into large-scale violence in early 2003 when ethnic African tribes took up arms, accusing the Arab-dominated central government of neglect.

The government is accused of responding by unleashing Arab tribal militias known as Janjaweed to murder and rape civilians and lay waste to villages — a charge it denies.