[JURIST] President Bush Friday called on Sudan to resolve the conflict in its troubled Darfur region [JURIST news archive], asking the country's government to act in “full compliance with the international desire for there to be peace.” The President’s remarks came just ahead of a meeting with activists lobbying on behalf of victims in Darfur, as well as demonstrations planned for Sunday in Washington [Save Darfur DC rally website] and 17 other US cities [rally information]. After the meeting Bush declared that "genocide in Sudan is unacceptable" and "must stop", saying the US strongly supported a plan to increase an African Union peacekeeping force through UN action. Read a full transcript of the President's remarks. AFP has more.

The UN Security Council passed a resolution [text; JURIST report] Tuesday imposing sanctions on four Sudanese individuals for acts or abuses committed in Darfur and calling for the conclusion of a peace agreement there by the end of April. On Thursday, President Bush issued an executive order [text] implementing the resolution in the United States by freezing the assets of those named and prohibiting Americans and US companies from having any dealings with them.