British Conservative MPs to visit Sudan’s Darfur

Mar 31, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Britain’s Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague and Shadow International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell will be visiting Sudan’s IDPs camps in Darfur, from 2 to 4 April, to see what necessary steps need to be taken by the international community in order to protect the people in the region.

The visit follows remarks by Conservative party leader David Cameron on renewing the Conservative party’s foreign policy on human rights.

During their visit, Hague and Mitchell will be meeting some members of Sudan’s Government of National Unity, the UN envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk, and some prominent AU members.

The meetings are aimed at assessing the required increase in assistance by the British government and the international community in order to protect the people of Darfur. The role of the UN and plans for deploying its troops will be particularly taken into account.

The two secretaries will also visit Abu Shawk camp in Northern Darfur State, where they will be accompanied on a tour by OXFAM UK and will meet some displaced people and listen to some cases of violence in the area.

(ST)