UNITED NATIONS, Sept 18: UN Security Council on Saturday adopted a US sponsored resolution that threatens oil sanctions against Sudan if it fails to stop atrocities in the Darfur region. The vote was 11-0 with four nations abstaining.

China, Russia, Algeria and Pakistan abstained. China had earlier threatened to veto the measure but relented after UN Secretary-General's appeal for swift unanimous action.

It calls for an expanded African Union monitoring force and a probe into human rights abuses, including genocide.

The resolution asks Sudan to cooperate with an expanded African Union monitoring mission in Darfur, where an estimated 50,000 people have been killed and 1.2 million forced out of their homes.