Urgency over Darfur
“A substantive resolution”, to quote Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) co-President, Glenys Kinnock on Darfur was the outcome of intense debate at the Wiesbaden ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly at the end of June, with backing for the, “…swift deployment possible deployment” of the African Union/United Nations hybrid force. The 20,000-strong force is expected to be in place by spring 2008 to avert further conflict.
Mario Benjamin, untitled, 2006. Mixed media on canvas. 76 x 115 cm.
Courtesy of the artist.
The JPA resolution also calls on Sudan to disarm the militia, including the Janjaweed, and to stop the bombing of Darfur and for the “fullest cooperation” between the Central African Republic, Chad and the Government of Sudan for the sake of regional security.
Third countries are requested to cease exports on arms to the region. During debate, Commissioner Louis Michel called for a “road map” on strategic steps to be taken by the international community for peace in the region. The JPA resolution calls on the Sudanese Peoples’ Liberation Movement to help unify rebel groups and for the Government of Sudan to take up negotiations with all rebel groups.
The role of China is highlighted in setting up the force and is asked to use its influence in helping the Sudanese government to bring rebel groups to the table.
Sudanese Parliamentarian, Atem Garang, welcomed “the positive spirit of debate and the way the resolution has been negotiated.” If the international community had given the same support to the country three or four years ago that it is now giving, the conflict would not have happened, he added. The resolution recognises that the root causes of the conflict were underdevelopment and people’s economic and political marginalisation.
EU high-level salute for hybrid force
Javier Solana, the EU’s High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) stated on August 1: “I call on all parties to work for a swift transition from the African Union (AU) mission in Sudan (AMIS) to the hybrid mission.” This is in the wake of the adoption of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1769 on the deployment of a AU/UN hybrid force for the region.
“The EU stands ready to step up its support to this end,” added Solana, who gave his backing to peace talks to bring about a political settlement for a “sustainable solution.”
