Annan demands Sudanese govt to halt offensive, warning it would suffer "opprobrium and disgrace" if it does not

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said plenty of blame for Darfur's current plight rested with the Sudanese government, demanding that it halt an offensive launched Aug 28 to flush out rebel strongholds in Darfur and warning it would suffer "opprobrium and disgrace" if it does not. - AFP report by Nick Wadhams (via Guardian) 12 Sep 2006.

Note this excerpt from the report:

Rice said Akol carried a letter to President Bush and "brought hope for better relations between the United States and Sudan, and I told him in no uncertain terms that wasn't on the agenda unless Sudan acted responsibly."

One can only guess they might be talking about the lifting of sanctions on Sudan, something Sudan desperately needs. It is up to its eyeballs in debt and needs to get trade flowing. I don't understand why sanctions are imposed on poverty stricken nations.