The travesty in Sudan

Truth is always the first casualty of genocide. Facing stronger economic sanctions, Sudan dispenses with reality and opts for complete denial about violence in its southern region of Darfur, which has killed nearly 400,000 and left 2 million homeless.

Sudan's ambassador to Washington held a news conference this week to make the absurd claim that no men, women and children have died at the hands of Arab militias.

The theatrics grew more absurd. The Sudanese ambassador held aloft a Coca-Cola bottle and threatened to halt his country's exports of the emulsifier gum arabic, used in cola, if the U.S. renewed its call for stronger sanctions.

No offense to soft drinks, but we're talking genocide here.

In the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, including news and photographic accounts by journalists, aid workers and diplomatic envoys, Khartoum's latest antics mean little.

But in one respect they are telling. Sudan doesn't seem interested in stopping the war in its remotest region. The African nation doesn't seem bothered by the world's horror as military planes and Arab tribesmen assault black, farming families.

Sudan isn't fixated on anything but denying reality.

President George W. Bush and other Western leaders are out of patience. Rightly so. Efforts to expand the list of Sudanese-owned or -controlled companies banned from involvement with U.S. financial systems are appropriate. Sudanese government officials and rebel leaders would also be targeted.

Diplomacy and mild sanctions have failed. Continued pressure is needed on the U.N., where "no" should be the correct response to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's appeal for more time to sway Sudan. U.N. peacekeeping troops must be allowed to stabilize Darfur. Assaults on humanitarian and aid workers must stop. These things are nonnegotiable and immediate demands.

Britain and France have been among the strongest voices calling for a response to Darfur. Russia and South Africa have been among the biggest foes. Add China, a large investor in Africa, but one too busy turning on Sudan's oil spigots to care much about Darfur.

Arab outrage over the Janjaweed, the marauding Arab militias, is muted. These leaders cannot say enough about Iraq or the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. But Darfur has Arab leaders tongue-tied.

The African Union's peacekeeping mission in Darfur is inadequate. More troops and money for equipment are needed if Sudan is going to take notice. Western aid is moving, but the real job of halting Darfur's genocide lies at the feet of African leaders.