U.N. approves 10,000 troops for southern Sudan

New York, March 25 (BDNEWS)- The U.N. Security Council has voted unanimously to authorize a 10,000-strong peacekeeping force for southern Sudan but remained deadlocked on any action for Darfur in the west.

The peacekeepers are to monitor a crucial agreement signed in January between the Khartoum government and southern rebels that ended a 21-year civil war. That conflict cost two million lives and forced four million people from their homes, according to wire services..

The council's resolution, drafted by the United States, calls for up to 10,000 military personnel and a civilian component of up to 715 police officers. U.N. officials say implementation will take several months.

In their accord, Khartoum and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement agreed on political power-sharing arrangements and a division of the country's oil wealth. They also called for integrated security forces in southern Sudan, the Nuba Mountains, the Southern Blue Nile and in Khartoum.

In six years, southerners, mainly Christians and animists, would be entitled to a referendum to determine whether they wanted to form their own state and break from the Islamic-dominated north.

But Security Council members remained deadlocked over imposing sanctions on Darfur -- and where to try perpetrators of atrocities.

France has introduced a resolution to send war crimes suspects to the International Criminal Court, a body that the United States opposes.

However, on Thursday France delayed a vote on the court until next week to give delegations, especially that of the United States, more time. European diplomats still hope to get an abstention from Washington, although that scenario appears unlikely.

The Bush administration rejects the court, the world's first permanent criminal tribunal set up in The Hague to try war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. The U.S. fears its citizens could face politically-motivated prosecutions.

A U.S. veto could, in effect, send a signal to Sudan that its officials, militia leaders and rebels are safe from punishment in Darfur, where fighting is escalating, tens of thousands have been killed and some 2 million people have been herded into squalid camps.

Nine council members have ratified the treaty creating the ICC -- Argentina, Benin, Brazil, Britain, Denmark, France, Greece, Romania and Tanzania. These countries hope Russia, Japan or the Philippines would also vote in favor.

The French draft resolution provides an exemption in Sudan from the court for such nations as the United States, which U.S. officials indicated was not strong enough.

A second U.S.-drafted resolution calls for a stricter arms ban and imposes a travel and an assets freeze against certain individuals in Darfur. China, Russia and Algeria are opposed.

BDNEWS/1008 hrs.