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FACTBOX:
Key excerpts from UN council resolution
on Darfur
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August
2 - 3,2008 - The U.N. Security Council on Thursday
renewed a mandate for peacekeepers in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region
for another year and agreed to discuss suspending any international
war crimes indictment of Sudan's president.
A year after the Security Council authorized a combined force between
the U.N. and the six-year old African Union to deploy 26,000 troops
and police for Sudan's arid western region, the mission is struggling
with only 9,500 in place.
While all agreed the renewal of the peacekeeping mandate was imperative,
an African demand, backed by Russia and China, that the text include
concerns about the possible indictment caused a deep division in the
Security Council. The United States let it pass but abstained from
voting in opposition to the text.
Following are key points from the resolution approved on Thursday:
* It says there is a need to bring to justice perpetrators of crimes
against the civilian population; urges the Sudanese government to
do so and condemns human rights and international humanitarian law
violations in Darfur.
* It notes a request from the African Union for the council to use
its power to suspend any indictment of Sudanese President Omar Hassan
al-Bashir for war crimes in Darfur.
* It refers to concerns raised by members of the Security Council
regarding "potential developments" subsequent to the International
Criminal Court prosecutor on July 14 accusing Bashir of masterminding
a campaign of genocide in Darfur. It notes "their intention to
consider these matters further."
* It reiterates concern for the decreasing security of humanitarian
personnel, including killings of humanitarian workers in Darfur.
* It reiterates there can be no military solution to the conflict
in Darfur.
* It demands that all parties cease hostilities and immediately commit
to a sustained and permanent cease-fire.
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