Will the UN put its foot down on Sudanese fighting? Asmaa El-Husseini poses the question The international community is stepping up its pressure on Sudan and South Sudan to stop the current fighting. The US has submitted a draft resolution involving sanctions against both countries unless they end all active hostilities. Susan Rice, the UN ambassador to the UN, said that the draft resolution aims at lending support to the African Union (AU) decisions regarding the conflict between Sudan and South Sudan. Diplomatic sources say that the resolution refers to "appropriate measures" to be taken according to Chapter 7 of the UN charter. Rice said that the UN Security Council members will need "several days" to examine the draft resolution. UN delegates have asked for more time to get instructions from their governments, and some delegates voiced scepticism about the resolution, Rice said. The US ambassador added that the resolution is "very urgent" and that the UN should act fast. Princeton Lyman, US envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, voiced hope that the two countries would end hostilities and return to the negotiating table. Speaking at a congressional hearing in Washington, Lyman voiced hope that the two governments would cease fighting and start talks about border issues. South Sudan accused northern-backed militia of attacking a border village, while Khartoum maintains that Juba is supporting the insurgents operating in Darfur, Kordofan, and the Blue Nile. Reacting to news of the UN draft resolution, Khartoum said that it rejects any action conflicting with the efforts of African Union mediators. Sudanese officials said that they were following closely the US draft resolution. Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti said that Sudan believes in the AU and its officials and the role they are playing to defuse the crisis. Any attempt to undermine the efforts of the AU will not be helpful to peace in the country, Karti added. The minister stated that Sudan supported AU efforts to maintain regional peace since 2006, noting that these efforts produced a peace deal in Darfur. Karti said that any attempt to bypass the AU and refer the crisis to the UN Security Council was unacceptable as it would allow prejudiced views to influence the efforts to reach a peace deal. Juba, which promised to withdraw its forces from the disputed Abyei region, called for the deployment of European troops on the borders. The international community is no longer convinced that AU efforts would lead to a timely peaceful solution. Since South Sudan seceded in July 2011, the two countries have failed to reach agreement on borders, oil, citizenry, and other crucial matters. If the UN Security Council passes the resolution, Sudan and South Sudan will be given 48 hours to cease all hostilities and three months to settle their main differences. This urgency contrasts with the relaxed timeframe of the AU, which has failed so far to yield results. The AU mediators work on the assumption that the two countries have enough goodwill to clinch a suitable deal, but this assumption no longer seems credible. If the resolution passes, both Khartoum and Juba will be faced with a force much bigger than anything with which they had to contend so far.
