U.S. Piles "Pressure" on Sudan with New U.N. Measure

• UN Measure Threatens Sanctions on Oil Industry -- But With No Date for Compliance

The United States piled pressure on Sudan Wednesday to accept a more powerful monitoring force in Darfur with a new U.N. draft resolution threatening sanctions on its oil industry. Sudan has said it would accept more observers from the 53-nation African Union (AU) to monitor a cease-fire between the government and rebels in the western region, but not if the mandate was expanded as a U.N. envoy to Sudan has proposed.The resolution does not give a date by which Sudan must comply, although diplomats said this might be added during negotiations with Security Council members. It says U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan should report back in 30 days. The Security Council threatened on July 30 to consider imposing unspecified sanctions on Sudan if it failed to disarm and prosecute the militias, known as Janjaweed. The resolution threatens punitive measures "including with regard to the petroleum sector" or against government members in the event of non-compliance or failure to cooperate with the AU mission on extending its monitoring presence. Sudan produces about 320,000 barrels per day (bpd) from its southern oil fields and importers include China and Pakistan, two Security Council members who oppose sanctions. [more ] and [more ]