The UN Security Council has passed a resolution which could lead to the dispatch of a UN peace-keeping force to the Darfur region in Sudan.
The resolution threatens strong and effective action against any individual or group that blocks the implementation of the Darfur peace accord. The accord was signed earlier this month by the Sudanese government and the largest rebel group in the region.
The US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, said the UN wants to increase assistance to the African Union mission already in Darfur, known as AMIS, until it can be replaced by a UN mission.
Sudan has so far refused to allow UN troops to take over from the smaller and under-equipped AU force in Darfur, and has given mixed signals since the 5 May signing of a peace deal in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.
Mr Bolton said the Sudanese government would find itself in a 'very difficult position if it did not co-operate with this transition'.
The Abuja accord, brokered by the African Union, provides for a more equitable distribution of power and wealth in the region.
It also demands the disarming of the pro-government Janjaweed militias, blamed for a campaign of violence against Darfur civilians.
