US anger at Sudan Darfur threat

The United States has called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council after Sudan warned countries not to send peacekeepers to Darfur.

Sudan sent a letter to all African and Arab countries at the UN, saying that contributing to the proposed UN force would be seen as "a hostile act".

Uh-oh! Another conflict in the making perhaps?

More than 2m people have fled their homes and an estimated 200,000 people have died.

The Security Council has approved plans to send a well-equipped 20,000-strong force with a tough mandate to end the conflict in Darfur but says it will only do so if Sudan agrees.

The US says Sudan's military is helping with a genocide against Darfur's black African residents.

But Sudan denies backing the Arab Janjaweed militias, accused of riding into villages on horses and camels, killing, raping and looting.

So, what should we do? Intervene and stop genocide, or sit back and 'wait' to see what happens. Complacency is rife in our society, and I'm as guilty as anyone!