British lawmakers say world is failing Darfur

LONDON, March 30 (Reuters) – The international community is doing too little to protect the people of Sudan’s westerly Darfur region, a British parliamentary report said on Wednesday. The report urged the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions on Sudan, extend its arms embargo and refer war criminals to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The village of Um Ziefa burns on Dec. 12 last year. (Photo Brian Steidle).

“The world’s failure to protect the people of Darfur from the atrocities committed against them by their own government is a scandal,” said Tony Baldry, chairman of the cross-party International Development Committee.

A rebellion has raged in Darfur for more than two years, leaving tens of thousands of people dead and prompting 2 million to flee their homes.

Sudan’s government admits arming some militias to quell the rebellion but denies links to Arab militias known as Janjaweed who are accused of raping, killing and looting.

The committee supported targeted U.N. sanctions on Sudan and recommended the United Nations extend an arms embargo, currently aimed at non-governmental entities in Sudan, to the government.

The Security Council is expected to vote on Wednesday on a French draft resolution that would send those suspected of war crimes in Darfur to the ICC. The report urged the British government to press the United States to give up its opposition to using the ICC.

The committee also urged governments to put more pressure on Sudan to improve policing.

And it said the African Union’s 2,000-strong ceasefire monitoring force needed a stronger mandate and more troops.

“As a first next-step, the AU should do more pro-actively to police the no-fly zone … and be provided with the logistical and technical support to enable it to fulfil its mandate,” said the report.

Parliamentary committees have no legislative power, but their recommendations can put pressure on governments.