Sudan's government has blocked a United Nations human rights team from entering the country to investigate alleged atrocities in Darfur. The government has questioned the objectivity of one team member and has called for him to be replaced.

Bush administration officials say the United States is prepared to impose sanctions against Sudan if it does not follow through on a stated commitment to allow an expanded peacekeeping force in the troubled Darfur region. However, they say U.N. member states have not yet pledged enough troops to put the Sudanese promise to the test.

Experts at a research organization in Washington held a conference Thursday to suggest aggressive changes in international policy are needed to end the violent conflict in Sudan's Darfur region, where African rebels fight with Sudanese troops and government-backed Arab militias known as janjaweed.

Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Khartoum on Friday, as part of an eight-nation tour aimed at strengthening China's ties with its African economic partners. Darfur is also expected to be on the agenda during Hu's visit. Western nations are pushing China to use its leverage to press Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to allow a U.N. peacekeeping mission into Darfur.

Sudan suffered two major blows Monday when it was overlooked for the chairmanship of the African Union and was told by the chief of the United Nations to get serious about ending the conflict in Darfur. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says he will put pressure on Sudan to find a solution for the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region. For VOA, Franz Wild reports from Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the U.N. chief spoke to reporters before continuing on to the African Union summit in Addis Ababa.

A French aid group says it will suspend activities in Darfur because the situation in western Sudan has become too dangerous for its workers.

The interim U.N. envoy to Sudan is appealing for a cessation of hostilities in the Darfur region, saying only a political solution can resolve the crisis, which has claimed hundreds-of-thousands of lives. Noel King has this report for VOA from Khartoum.

Members and supporters of Amnesty International gathered Tuesday outside the White House to call on President Bush to pressure the Sudanese government to accept U.N. troops in its wartorn Darfur region. VOA's Sean Maroney reports from Washington.

The Bush administration says it supports the effort by New Mexico state Governor Bill Richardson to persuade Sudan to drop its objection to new peacekeeping troops for Darfur. State Department officials say Sudanese leaders have sounded more conciliatory on the issue in recent days, but that the United States is not dropping a threat of punitive action against Khartoum. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

The United States has condemned the Sudanese government for bombing rebel positions in the troubled Darfur region in violation of a ceasefire agreement.

Ugandan military officials are blaming rebels for two attacks in southern Sudan this week that killed 13 people.