The Sudanese government expressed on Tuesday its surprise over the decision taken by the U.S. administration to expand sanctions on the African country.

"The U.S. surprised us by imposing sanctions on Sudan at a time that the situation in Darfur is improving," Sudanese Presidential Adviser Majzoub al-Khalifa told reporters.

"This is surprising," the Sudanese official stressed, adding that the United States was "isolating itself and its partners and worsening its reputation."

He said that the American decision exposed again the hostile intentions of the United States, adding that Washington wanted only to achieve its own aims in Sudan instead of realizing peace here.

However, the Sudanese official reiterated that his government would not submit to the pressures, vowing that it would continue its efforts to solve the Darfur problem.

U.S. President George W. Bush announced earlier on Tuesday that the U.S. Treasury Department would step up efforts to squeeze the Sudanese economy by targeting government-run ventures involved with its booming oil business, which does many of its transactions in U.S. dollars.

Bush also announced sanctions against two senior Sudanese officials and a rebel leader, who were suspected of being involved in the violence in Darfur.

Washington will also seek new UN Security Council sanctions against Khartoum, as well as a provision preventing the Sudanese government from conducting military flights in Darfur, Bush said.

Source: Xinhua