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UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security Council threatened Sudan on Friday with diplomatic and economic punishment unless the government reins in rampaging Arab militias within 30 days.
The Sudanese government swiftly rejected the U.S.-drafted resolution, which was approved 13-0, with China and Pakistan abstaining. Sudan has insisted that it is trying to curb the militias and that threats of sanctions would not help.
"Sudan expresses its deep sorrow that the issue of Darfur has quickly entered the Security Council and has been hijacked from its regional arena," Information Minister El-Zahawi Ibrahim Malik said in a statement issued after the vote.
In a 17-month conflict in Darfur, pro-government Arab militias known as Janjaweed have waged a brutal campaign to drive out black African farmers, torching villages, gunning down residents and raping women. The U.S. Congress has called the campaign genocide.
The violence has continued despite a cease-fire called in July and Sudanese promises of a crackdown.
The United States didn't specify what sanctions might be considered but said the resolution was a tough warning to Sudan.
Sudan said what it really needed from the international community was more humanitarian assistance.
To win support on the council, the United States revised its resolution four times, finally dropping the use of the word "sanctions" after several countries objected to the explicit threat.
The move overcame opposition from Russia and several other countries to help gain the minimum nine "yes" votes needed.
The resolution instead referred to an article of the U.N. charter that threatens measures including "complete or partial interruption of economic relations and of rail, sea, air, postal, telegraphic, radio, and other means of communication and the severance of diplomatic relations."
Still, the United States and the resolution's supporters insisted the sanctions threat remained even if the word did not. France, Spain, Britain, Chile, Germany and Romania co-sponsored the resolution.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed the resolution and said he looked forward to the "swift and sustained implementation" by Sudan of its commitments.
China said it believed the Sudanese government was trying to honor its commitments and needed more time.