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EU Threatens Sudan With Further Sanctions

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The European Union has threatened Sudan with new sanctions if the government continues to withhold Darfur war crimes suspects wanted by the International Criminal Court.

In a declaration issued Friday, EU leaders meeting in Brussels said they are "deeply concerned" by what they called Sudan's "lack of cooperation" with the ICC.

They urged the Sudanese government to work constructively with the court, the EU and the international community, and called for additional measures if it fails to do so.

The EU already has an arms embargo on Sudan and visa bans on a number of Sudanese officials.

Sudan has made it clear it will not surrender any suspects to the court. ICC prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for two Sudanese nationals, government official Ahmed Harun and militia leader Ali Kushayb.

The two men are charged with 51 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including acts of murder, torture, rape and forcible displacement.

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, has said he is pursuing another case against senior Sudanese officials believed to be involved in the Darfur conflict.

Darfur has endured more than five years of conflict since rebels took up arms against the government and government-backed militias in 2003. Experts say the fighting has killed up to 300,000 people and displaced more than 2.5 million others.

Earlier this month, the United Nations Security Council issued a resolution demanding Sudan's cooperation in bringing Darfur war criminals to justice.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.


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