British Prime Minister Tony Blair said today he will propose an incentive package for Sudan as part of a new initiative to end the crisis in war-torn Darfur and get UN peacekeeping troops on the ground.
"In the coming weeks I will talk to other leaders to agree an initiative that sets out the help Sudan can expect if the government lives up to its obligations and what will happen if they don't," Mr Blair said in a statement.
The western region of Sudan bordering Chad has been rent by political and ethnic violence since 2003. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than 2 million displaced by fighting between government troops, rebels and militias.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair
Western leaders, some African presidents and humanitarian groups are piling pressure on Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to accept a UN resolution to deploy more than 20,000 UN peacekeepers in Darfur.
The mandate for 7,000 poorly-equipped and under-funded African Union troops is due to expire on September 30th and Sudan has said they would only be allowed to extend their mission if they remain under AU control.
"The situation is unacceptable. I do not understand the government of Sudan's rejection of the UN force, or its threat to withdraw its welcome from the AU," Mr Blair said. "The government of Sudan must agree to the continuation of the (African Union) force and transition to the UN."
A British official said Blair's aim was to get the African Union, European Union, the United Nations and the United States to back the initiative at the highest level.
The official said the plan would make clear what Sudan could expect to get in return for playing its part in ending the crisis, saying the incentives would be a road-map for normalising relations with international powers.
They could include ending suspensions of development and recovery aid, resolving Sudan's debt situation, establishing higher level political contacts and moving towards the lifting of sanctions, he said.
"If they do not shoulder their responsibilities, then they would face serious consequences," he said, declining to elaborate on what the consequences might be.