The UN Security Council should approve a resolution on Darfur
that is focused on endorsing a proposed African Union (AU)-UN
peacekeeping mission, the Chinese envoy to the UN said Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters after the council finished closed-door
consultations on African issues, China's Ambassador Wang Guangya,
the council's president for July, said the co-sponsors of a draft
resolution on Darfur briefed the council on the progress they had
made in talks with African countries.
He said the agreement reached by the UN, the AU and the Sudanese
government on the joint operation is a very positive development
that was welcomed by all.
While urging the 15-member body to take "quick action" to
approve a resolution endorsing this agreement, Wang stressed that
China would like to have a "good" resolution that would help
maintain the current momentum that is "underway for the
better."
A "good" resolution, he explained, "is that it should be focused
on the Security Council should endorse this joint operation."
"If we want to have a resolution that will be helpful for this
political process, I do hope that the co-sponsors will also discuss
and consult with the government of Sudan, with their
representatives here," Wang said.
Britain and France are leading efforts to hold talks with the
three African countries in the Security Council: Ghana, South
Africa and the Republic of the Congo, to make changes to the
proposed draft that was circulated nearly two weeks ago.
UN diplomats said the co-sponsors have agreed to drop a
reference to taking "further measures," which implies possible
sanctions against Sudan, if the government fails to comply with the
document.
They said the council has scheduled a meeting on Wednesday to
discuss the draft's latest version.
(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2007)
