Brussels, 16/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament (EP) foreign affairs committee has urged the European Union to act to help check the crises in Western, Central and Eastern Africa, and in particular to help calm tensions between Sudan and South Sudan - tensions which, it fears, could escalate into war. The committee, meeting in Brussels on Monday 14 May under the chairmanship of Elmar Brok (EPP, Germany), questioned the role being played by China in the two neighbouring African countries. China, more proactive than the European Union, could only gain from EU's prevarication, the committee said.
“If one compares the present situation with last year's, things have deteriorated”, said Véronique De Keyser (S&D, Belgium). While some solutions had been found to the issues of citizenship, sharing the oil revenues and defining borders, Sudan and its new neighbour South Sudan are on the brink of war.
Nicholas Westcott, Director for Africa at the European External Action Service (EEAS) said that no agreement had so far been found as the two countries lack the experience needed to deal with the situation resulting from the independence of South Sudan in July 2011. “South Sudan is holding on to its independence and Sudan doesn't want to break up any more”, he said. Mario Mauro (EPP, Italy) said the only country to gain from the EU's delay in taking action to resolve the Sudan-South Sudan conflict was China. “What is the EU's role here?” he asked.
Rosalind Marsden, the EU Special Representative for Sudan, said the EU and China shared the same goal: they were both encouraging the governments of Sudan and South Sudan to develop a solution for peace. “China acts proactively because Chinese enterprises are affected by Sudanese oil”, she said. (AN/transl.rt)