Bush signs Sudan sanctions order

George Bush has signed an order that stiffens sanctions on Sudan and its oil industry in an effort to persuade the government to accept UN peacekeepers and stop the killing of civilians in Darfur.

The US president signed the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act to deal with the crisis in the western region of the African country, where at least 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million people have been displaced in three years of fighting.

The act imposes sanctions against those responsible for genocide, backs measures to protect civilians and humanitarian operations and supports peace efforts in the devastated region, according to the order issued last night by the White House.

The order continues a countrywide blocking of the Sudan government’s property and prohibits transactions related to Sudan’s oil sector.

Bush said: “The government of Sudan continues to implement policies and actions that violate human rights, in particular with respect to the conflict in Darfur.

“The pervasive role played by the government of Sudan in Sudan’s petroleum and petrochemical industries threatens US national security and foreign policy interests.”

Bush’s executive action expands on an earlier executive order issued by President Clinton in 1997.

The action maintains robust US sanctions on Sudan while facilitating US assistance and investment in the development and reconstruction of Southern Sudan.

UN investigators and rights groups have blamed the bulk of the atrocities on the janjaweed, a pro-government militia that is widely accused of killing villagers and setting fire to their homes. The government denies supporting the janjaweed.

Despite a May peace agreement, aid workers and rights organisations agree with the Crisis Group's assessment that violence has increased in recent months.

The UN Security Council voted in August to replace the weak African Union peacekeeping mission with a much bigger UN force.

However, Sudan president Omar al-Bahir and his ruling National Congress Party have refused to let the UN peacekeepers deploy, claiming they would breach Sudan’s sovereignty.