Brussels, 22/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 22 January in Brussels, EU ministers for foreign affairs, under the presidency of Frank-Walter Steinmeier, again examined the situation in Sudan and strongly condemned the continued massacres in Darfur. They also reiterated their call for the deployment of a joint African Union/United Nations force, which Khartoum had previously agreed to.
Conclusions adopted express the Council's intense concern about the situation in Darfur, which has been described as “absolutely intolerable” in regard both to security and from a humanitarian perspective involving human rights. Although it condemns the permanent violations to the cease-fire committed by the different parties in the conflict, it is particularly critical of the air strikes carried out by the Sudanese air force against civilian targets, and the bombings on 29 December and 5 January on villages in the north of Darfur. The Council explains that it “expects the Sudanese authorities to fulfil their responsibility to provide effective protection to all the citizens and to put an end to impunity in Darfur”. It also underlines the fact that the EU has warmly welcomed the decision by the United National Council on Human Rights to send a fact-finding mission to assess the situation in Darfur. The Council pointed out that a political process open to all parties is one of the conditions for sustainable peace in Darfur. It also gave its full support to the AU Special Envoy Jan Eliasson and AU Special Envoy Salim Salim to relaunch the political process. It is calling on all the parities involved in the Darfur Peace Agreement (as well as non-signatories) to demonstrate good faith in negotiations.
The Council is taking the Sudanese government at its word and is pleased to note the letter sent by president Omar Hassan al-Bashir to the UN Secretary General on 23 December 2006. The Council explains that the EU expects the Sudanese government to contribute to finalising preparatory work for the creation of a hybrid force, “on the basis of an unequivocal acceptance of the full implementation of the UN support packages for the AU Mission in Sudan, and in close cooperation with the AU and UN”. The Council expresses its, “readiness to consider further measures notably in the UN framework against any party which obstructs its implementation”.
The AU and the UN are encouraged to speed up plans for the deployment of this hybrid force. The EU confirms that in the transition period, its civilian and military support to AMIS will be extended by a maximum of six months as from 1 January 2007. The Council is urging the other parties and organisations to provide immediate financial and supplementary material support to AMIS. Louis Michel, Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, explained this situation to the press and declared that as the current situation stood, the Commission does not have any money left. In a reference to aid promised by the Arab League, which the Commissioner would like to question during his next meeting with the Secretary General of the organisation, the Commissioner asked whether, “the situation is more dramatic than ever from a humanitarian and military perspective… Where are the other fund donors, who should put their money where their mouth is?” (an/ab)