Canada condemns new Darfur violence
Sept 12, 2006 (OTTAWA) — Canada condemned a new outbreak of violence in Sudan’s western Darfur region and urged the government in Khartoum to accept the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers.
Canada “fully supports” a September 11 statement by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan decrying the deteriorating humanitarian, human rights and security situation in Darfur, Foreign Minister Peter MacKay said in a statement.
Sudan’s military build-up “is in clear violation of the Darfur Peace Agreement, and we call on all parties to respect the agreement.”
Canada “is working with governments in the region, Security Council members and other international partners to urge the government of Sudan to act responsibly” and accept UN peacekeepers, MacKay said.
“An early transition to a UN-led force would provide for the protection of civilians, particularly internally displaced persons, and safe and unhindered access for aid workers.
“In the meantime, it is critical that the international community maintain support for the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to ensure that there is no further deterioration in the security situation in Darfur,” the statement read.
Canada has provided 170 million US dollars in funding for AMIS since 2004 and is one of its main contributors, the statement read.
Several UN Security Council members have appealed to Khartoum to accept Resolution 1706, which authorized deployment of 20,000 UN peacekeepers to take over from cash-strapped African Union (AU) forces in Darfur.
The Sudanese government has refused all deployment of UN peacekeepers.
UN chief Kofi Annan on Monday blasted a Sudanese government onslaught against rebels in Darfur and said the latest fighting showed “utter disregard” for the Darfur Peace Agreement, signed in Nigeria last May by Khartoum and the main Darfur rebel movement. Two other rebel groups refused to sign the deal.
Nearly four years of fighting in Darfur has claimed at least 300,000 lives and displaced more than a million people despite efforts to resolve the conflict.
(ST/AFP)