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    February 17, 2012

United Nations Votes to Extend Sudan Panel

   Larry Freund | New York
   Women with children near a member of Darfur's joint U.N./African Union
   UNAMID peacekeeping force, Darfur, Jan. 2011 (file photo).
   Photo: Reuters
   Women with children near a member of Darfur's joint U.N./African Union
   UNAMID peacekeeping force, Darfur, Jan. 2011 (file photo).

   The United Nations Security Council on Friday voted unanimously to
   extend the mandate of a panel of experts on Sudan sanctions for another
   year.
   The 15-member council determined the situation in Sudan continues to
   constitute a threat to international peace and security in the region.
   The Sudanese government has been fighting rebels in the western Darfur
   region. The United Nations says more than 300,000 people have been
   killed in the conflict.
   The Security Council resolution demands that all parties to the
   conflict exercise restraint and cease military action of all kind,
   including aerial bombardments. The resolution also expresses concern
   over what it terms obstacles that inhibit work of panel experts, which
   include delays in the issuance of visas and travel permits,
   restrictions to freedom of movement of panel experts and The United
   Nations-African Union peacekeeping force that has been deployed in
   Darfur since 2008.
   Sudan's ambassador to the United Nations, Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman,
   reaffirmed what he called Sudan's determination and intention to put an
   end to the conflict in Darfur. He called on the Security Council to
   pressure rebel groups that are refusing to negotiate.
   Speaking via translator, he took exception to the resolution's
   criticism of obstacles imposed on work by the panel of experts.
   "This kind of wording copied from other resolutions undermines the
   council's credibility and it undermines the action of the experts and
   the work of the commission," he said. "And I recall well that we did
   grant visas to experts in under 24 hours."
   Regarding the council's reference to aerial bombardments, Ali Osman
   described them as a thing of the past.
   Last week, Amnesty International reported that weapons from Russia and
   China are being used by Sudan's government to commit serious human
   rights violations against civilians.
   According to the rights organization, China and Russia are selling arms
   to the Government of Sudan with full knowledge that many of them are
   likely to end up being used to commit human rights violations in
   Darfur.