SUDAN NEWS ALERT: AFP - China, Russia block UN action on Sudan

5/6/19: AFP – China, Russia block UN action on Sudan, by Carole Landry

AFP reports that China, backed by Russia, blocked a bid at the UN Security Council on Tuesday to condemn the killing of civilians in Sudan and issue a pressing call from world powers for an immediate halt to the violence, diplomats said.

 During a closed-door council meeting, Britain and Germany circulated a press statement that would have called on Sudan's military rulers and protesters to "continue working together towards a consensual solution to the current crisis," according to the draft seen by AFP.

 But China firmly objected to the proposed text while Russia insisted that the council should await a response from the African Union, diplomats said.

 Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said the proposed statement was "unbalanced" and stressed the need to be "very cautious in this situation."