The United Nations said today it was very concerned by Sudan's lack of practical progress in bringing security to Darfur, where more than a million people have fled their homes for fear of militia attack.
Sudan has less than two weeks to prove to the UN Security Council it has made progress towards disarming marauding Arab militias known as Janjaweed in the far western Darfur region, or face possible sanctions.
But its ambassador to Britain said Sudan hoped for more time and aid and that sanctions could sabotage efforts to restore stability to the entire country.
The spokeswoman for the UN special envoy to Sudan said the Khartoum government had satisfied the United Nations so far with its plans to ensure security for the Darfur displaced, but the next 10 days would be crucial to determine if the government was implementing its promises to the world body.
"We are still concerned, very much so, by the lack of progress on the ground," spokeswoman Ms Radhia Achouria told reporters in Khartoum, specifically referring to security in the camps for displaced people.
"(Special envoy) Jan Pronk has said that he is very satisfied so far with the actual formulation of the action to be taken," she said, adding that implementation would be evaluated over the coming period.
She added the next 10 days, including a visit to Darfur by senior UN officials in Khartoum on August 26th, would be "crucial and critical" in deciding whether Sudan was meeting the demands of the July 30th UN Security Council resolution.