Brussels, 05/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - The African Union's mission in Sudan (AMIS) is in desperate need of additional funding in order to complete its mandate until the effective deployment of a joint United Nations and African Union force in Darfur. However, the coffers of the Peace Facility for Africa, which have seen EU support for AMIS to the tune of some €250 million, are nearly empty and will most certainly be so by the end of March. Aware of the situation and “extremely concerned by the constant deterioration in safety conditions and by the humanitarian crisis in Darfur”, the foreign affairs ministers of the EU, meeting in Brussels on 5 March, reiterated the EU's determination to continue to contribute to AMIS and its funding.
The conclusions of the Council welcomed the ministers' agreement to top up the resources of the Peace Facility for Africa, using financial resources under the ninth European Development Fund (EDF), a decision in principle which will, of course, require the agreement of the ACP (Africa/Caribbean/Pacific) countries, who are to receive these funds as part of their own partnership with the EU- and by means of the voluntary contributions announced by certain Member States (Denmark, Estonia, Greece and Ireland have each pledged between €1-2 million)
Although the EU will have to wait until 25 May in order to obtain the agreement of the ACP partners at the joint ACP/EU Council of Ministers, it is clear that the EU will not, alone, be able to stump up the €200 million required - the minimum estimated amount needed by AMIS to manage the transition to the deployment of the joint UN/AU force. For this reason, the EU is calling on other international donors also to contribute towards the “success of the mission”, and “calls upon them to honour the commitments they have taken and to make additional contributions”.
The Council points out that the EU has already committed €400 million to AMIS (via the contribution of the Peace Facility for Africa and bilateral contributions on the part of the member states).
It expresses its hope that the Sudanese government will “unequivocally and in the very near future” agree to the deployment of the entire heavy support module of the United Nations in favour of AMIS, as it had undertaken to do, and that Khartoum will work actively with the African Union and the United Nations to ensure its swift implementation. The Council reiterates its willingness to consider further sanctions, particularly within the framework of the United Nations, against anyone creating obstacles to its implementation.
The conclusions of the Council voiced serious concerns at the bombing raids carried out by the Sudanese army near the border with Chad on 11 February, and the attacks carried out by militia in North Darfur on 13 February, which left 20 civilians dead. Strongly condemning the continuing violence against humanitarian aid workers, the deliberate targeting of rescue operations and ceasefire violations, the Council states that it is prepared to implement measures decided upon by the United Nations Security Council in its resolution 1591, and that it is in favour of an emergency examination of new Security Council measures. It takes note of evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity presented by the public prosecutor of the International Criminal Court of The Hague, and sees this as a “decisive stage in putting an end to impunity in Darfur”. The Council expects the Sudanese government to cooperate fully with the Court. It also stresses the urgent need for a new ceasefire to be fully observed and for the political process to be relaunched, in order to allow the swift opening-up of negotiations under the aegis of the African Union and the United Nations. (an)