KHARTOUM, 29 July 2004 — Egypt and the Arab League tried to put the brakes on the campaign for sanctions against Sudan yesterday as the Sudanese government blamed rebels in the western region of Darfur for the humanitarian crisis there.

But US Secretary of State Colin Powell said that time was running out for the victims of the conflict in Darfur and the international community should keep up the pressure on Khartoum.

“It is not enough of an excuse to say, ‘Well we don’t want to put sanctions on this regime. We’d rather just see several hundred thousand people go through this terrible period where so many of them will die’,” he told Egyptian television.

The World Food Program (WFP), which is trying to feed hundreds of thousands displaced by the conflict, said it needed over $100 million more this year to fund its Sudanese activity.

The Sudanese government is under threat of UN sanctions if it does not crack down on the Arab militias, known as the Janjaweed, blamed for driving non-Arab villagers off the land in an arid region the size of France. Washington wants the Security Council to vote to set a deadline for sanctions this week.

Khartoum says it is doing its best to comply but needs more time to deploy more forces in Darfur.

Relief organizations say the government has at least made significant improvements on access to Darfur for humanitarian workers.

Egypt asked the United States to give Sudan government more time to meet its commitment to stop the Janjaweed.

And the Arab League, which includes all Arab countries, said imposing sanctions would not help resolve what the United Nations has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

African Union-hosted Darfur peace talks broke down this month when Khartoum rejected the rebels’ conditions for talks.

The -African Union said yesterday it may beef up its cease-fire observer mission to form a fully-fledged peacekeeping force to disarm the militias and protect civilians. That would take many more troops than the 96 observers now in Darfur.

A 270-strong force to protect them already faces delays.