U.N. council threatens action over Darfur attack

By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council on Friday strongly condemned an attack by Sudanese army troops on a peacekeeping convoy and threatened action against anyone hindering the deployment of international peacekeepers.

"The Security Council expresses its readiness to take action against any party that impedes the peace process, humanitarian aid or the deployment of UNAMID," a council statement said, referring to the joint mission of the United Nations and the African Union in Darfur.

The council said it "condemns in the strongest possible terms" Monday's attack, blaming it on what it called "elements of the Sudanese armed forces," as reported by UNAMID earlier this week.

Sudan's ambassador to the United Nations, Abdalmahmoud Abdalhaleem, told reporters that since the statement used the wording "elements" of the army, Khartoum did not view it as a condemnation of the Sudanese government.

"Elements can mean anything," he said.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters there was a "range of things" the council could do if there were any more such attacks on UNAMID, including the imposition of sanctions.

Abdalhaleem dismissed the threat of possible action by the council. He said the 15-nation body had issued many warnings in the past but had never followed through.

"Unfortunately the council has yet to take any action against this because it has failed to take action on the rebels who massacred the (former African Union) forces," he said, referring to an attack in the town of Haskanita in September.