EU to keep up political pressure over Darfur

Oct 11, 2005 (BRUSSELS) — The European Union will keep up political pressure on the factions involved in the deadly unrest in Sudan’s Darfur region, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Tuesday.

“The EU is going to put all its pressure on the rebels and the Sudanese government so they understand that a political solution is the only solution,” he said after talks with African Union (AU) chief Alpha Oumar Konare.

The Darfur conflict has pitted ethnic minority black Darfurians against the Khartoum government troops and their Arab proxies — known as Janjaweed — since February 2003.

Up to 300,000 people have been killed and two million displaced in the region that is the size of France.

“The problem in Darfur today, is to make all the parties, the rebel movements as well as the government, understand that there is no military solution to this conflict, that political dialogue is needed,” Solana said.

The AU has some 6,300 troops monitoring a fragile ceasefire between the rebels and government-backed Arab militias. It wants to boost its contingent, which includes nationals from Rwanda, Nigeria, Senegal, South African and Gambia.

Solana travelled last week to Sudan and neighbouring Chad, which has been flooded with refugees from Darfur.

(AFP/ST)