[JURIST] Sudan's Ministry for Foreign Affairs [official website] Wednesday called yesterday's UN Security Council [official website] sanctions resolution "unbalanced and inappropriate," saying it "ignored the government's efforts in addressing the political, security and humanitarian aspects of the Darfur conflict." The Security Council voted 12-0 [Reuters report] (with China, Russia and Algeria abstaining) to impose travel bans and asset freezes on those who violate the Darfur cease-fire and those responsible for atrocities against civilians. The resolution also strengthens the arms embargo on Sudan and forbids the government from offensive military flights into the Darfur region. Despite its objections the resolution, the Sudanese government said Wednesday that it would deal with the resolution in accordance with its moral and legal responsibility towards its people and "do everything possible to secure an immediate and comprehensive settlement to the conflict in Darfur." AFP has more.

In a related story, the UK parliament's International Development Committee [official website] released a report Wednesday that concludes that as many as 300,000 people have died during the Darfur conflict [JURIST news archive]. The report, Darfur, Sudan: The responsibility to protect [PDF text], also urges the UN to extends arms embargo on Sudan and refer Darfur war criminals to the International Criminal Court [official website]. Reuters has more.