Members of the UN Security Council began examining a draft resolution on Friday to remove sanctions imposed on Sudan in 1996 after an attempt on the life of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Diplomats said experts were studying a draft submitted by Mali, one of three African countries with non-permanent seats on the council.
The diplomats said a vote might be taken on the draft next month, and said only the United States appeared to have qualms about removing the sanctions.
These were imposed to force Sudan to extradite three people suspected of trying to kill Mubarak as he arrived in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, for a summit of the Organization of African Unity on June 26th, 1995.
The sanctions included a ban on flights by Sudan Airways and restrictions on the movement of Sudanese diplomats abroad.
The draft resolution welcomed the fact that Sudan had signed "the relevant international conventions for the elimination of terrorism" and taken similar measures at the domestic and regional level.
It noted that the chairmen of the African, Arab and Non-Aligned Nations groups at the United Nations had written to the president of the Security Council, French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte, to support an end to sanctions.
Mali will take over the council presidency for the month of September.
In a letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on June 1st, the Sudanese foreign minister, Mustafa Osman Ismail, said inquiries by authorities in his country "show that no trace has been found of the three suspects in the Sudan."
He said the government of Sudan had held "intensive consultations" with Egypt and with Ethiopia which "resulted in complete understanding" with them on all security questions, including that of the suspects - UNITED NATIONS (AFP)
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