The United States is holding off on imposing unilateral sanctions against Sudan so that negotiations can take place on Sudanese acceptance of deployment of international peacekeepers for Darfur, a top administration official said Wednesday. The special U.S. envoy to Sudan, Andrew Natsios, said the administration agreed to a delay of two to four weeks at the request of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, according to AP. Natsios said the United States is contemplating sanctions against 29 Sudanese companies. If the sanctions are applied at the Sudanese companies, he said, they could lead to the paralysis of some of their operations. «It will have an affect on the economy,» Natsios said in testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. -- SPA
