Canada ‘deeply concerned’ by latest Darfur death toll

April 24, 2008 (OTTAWA) — Canada’s foreign affairs minister said Thursday new estimates of civilian deaths in Darfur are “most worrisome,” and he urged the Sudanese government and rebels to cease their hostilities.

UN humanitarian chief John Holmes told the Security Council on Tuesday that it was likely the death toll from five years of war, famine and disease in Darfur had risen in the past couple of years to as many as 300,000.

In a statement, Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier said Canada is “deeply concerned” by this new figure, noting that the number of civilian deaths resulting from the conflict in Darfur increased by half since 2006, from 200,000 to 300,000.

“These new UN estimates are credible and most worrisome,” Bernier said.

In addition to the deaths, more than 2.2 million in Darfur are also believed to have fled their homes since the conflict broke out in the remote western region in February 2003.

Fighting erupted when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated regime and state-backed Arab militias, fighting for resources and power in one of the most remote and deprived places on earth.

Bernier said: “There can be no military solution to the ongoing conflict in Darfur, which is why we are urging the Sudanese government and rebels to cease their hostilities and continue with the negotiation process being led by the UN and the African Union.”

“We reiterate our call to all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians,” he added.

Bernier asked that humanitarian worker be provided free and secure access to the Sudanese people and encouraged the government of Sudan to facilitate the deployment of the United Nations-African Union peacekeepers in Darfur.

(AFP)