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Sudan Tribune

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African and EU legislators want Darfur on AU-EU summit

December 6, 2007 (LONDON) — More than forty members of African and European Parliaments have today (Friday) expressed ‘surprise and disappointment’ that the crisis in Darfur is not on the agenda for the EU-Africa Summit that begins in Lisbon this weekend.

In a strongly worded letter sent to the African and European head of states, the lawmakers said that they were, ‘surprised and disappointed to note that at a two-day summit of the leaders of our two continents, there will be no time allotted to discuss the continuing crisis in Darfur that has claimed over 200,000 lives.’

The EU-Africa Summit will be held in Lisbon on Saturday and Sunday, 8-9 December, European and African leaders including Sudanese president Omer al-Bashir are expected to attend.

Pressed by China’s growing investment and influence in Africa, EU leaders hope to reinforce those ties by improving cooperation on several fronts and moving away from dependence-inducing aid.

In a parallel move, a coalition of over 50 African and European human rights groups including Amnesty International, the International Federation of Human Rights and the Darfur Consortium have written to Heads of State warning that; ‘to ignore it [Darfur] now would be to turn our backs on the people of Darfur.’

The calls for the Summit to discuss Darfur come following the news last month from UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Marie Guehenno that the Government of Sudan is blocking the deployment of the hybrid peacekeeping force. It also follows a similar demand for a focus on Darfur from European and Africa writers last Tuesday.

The letters from legislators and campaigners argue that the EU and Africa have a shared responsibility to solve the Darfur conflict, which has already claimed over 200,000 lives and displaced millions.

“The welfare of our citizens must be the first order of business whenever our leaders meet, and the devastating impact this ongoing conflict has on the lives of so many people should clearly place it near the top of the agenda for the EU-Africa Summit.” says the letter.

Five Sudanese lawmakers appear among the signatories of the letter : Abughassim Seif Eldin, Farouq Abu-Issa, David Kuku Toto , Suliman Hamid, Salih Mahmoud Osman.

(ST)

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