EU offers to send police mission to Sudan

BRUSSELS, Belgium, Sep 5, 2004 (PANA) — The President of the European Union
(EU) Council of Ministers, Bernard Bot has disclosed the Union
was prepared to send a police mission to troubled Darfur in
western Sudan in collaboration with the African Union (AU).

Addressing a news conference after the EU foreign ministers’
discussions on Saturday, Bot said the council had extensively
discussed the situation and political process in the Darfur,
based on the report of the UN Secretary General Special Envoy Jan
Pronk.

“The situation is still precarious and it will be the focus of
our attention for the coming weeks,” said Bot, who is also
foreign minister of the Netherlands.

He said despite progress made on the humanitarian crisis, there
was a lack of headway in the disarmament and control of the
Janjaweed militia, which he said was still a “major concern”.

The Janjaweed, allegedly backed by the Khartoum government, are
accused of atrocities against the civilian population in Darfur.

Bot said the EU would keep pressure on the Sudanese government to
abide by the UN Security Council 1556 resolution and the
conclusions of the general affairs council, adding that the EU
could possibly impose sanctions on Sudan.

In addition, the EU discussed the necessity to maintain the
pressure on the Sudanese government to reach a peace agreement
between the North and South of the country.

The EU, based on the AU’s request, would help in the expansion of
the current observer mission and the dispatch of additional
protection troops in the Darfur region, he disclosed.