Brussels, 19/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - The EU's attention is focused on preparations for a referendum on self-determination for southern Sudan and a referendum on Abyai, both scheduled for January 2011. The EU is aware of the need for guidance in this process and is preparing for all possible outcomes, including partition of Sudan. This is the backdrop against which the EU27 foreign ministers will be meeting in Brussels on Monday 22 November under the chairmanship of Catherine Ashton, to discuss the situation in Sudan at this key point in its history.
In its conclusions document, the Council will state that the EU attaches importance to full respect of the overarching peace settlement and will state the EU's desire to strengthen dialogue with all Sudanese players to encourage sustainable peace and development throughout Sudan, irrespective of the outcome of the referendums. The Council will say that the EU is prepared to cooperate in boosting Southern Sudanese capabilities and also the capabilities of the southern regions of Kordofan and the Blue Nile, the eastern Sudanese region of Abyai and the western Sudanese region of Darfur, where there is a worrying level of insecurity and violation of human rights.
Once again, the Sudanese authorities will be invited to cooperate with the International Criminal Court, which has issued an arrest warrant for President El Bachir on the grounds of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
The EU is helping Sudan in many ways, through support for UNAMID (the United Nations and African Union Mission in Darfur) and support for the work of Thabo Mbeki, the former president of South Africa who chairs the high-level African Union group on Darfur. The EU will be observing the two referendums. AN EU observer group has already been set up to monitor registration on the electoral role (that started on 15 November) for the 9 January 2011 referendum on southern Sudan. The rest of the team will be deployed in a month's time. (A.N./transl.fl)