Large force needed in Sudan, say Irish NGOs

Nov 18, 2006 (DUBLIN) — SUDAN: Irish NGOs have said that UN involvement in Sudan will be ineffective unless large numbers of troops are sent in urgently.

Concern’s Tom Arnold said yesterday that while he would be in favour of such involvement as the situation had become so bad, a large number of peacekeepers would be needed for the force to have any effect.

When the 7,000-strong African force was sent in everybody was hopeful, but it really had not been effective, he said.

Mr Arnold said no numbers had been specified in the Addis Ababa agreement, nor was it known how quickly a contingent could be deployed.

“There is really a sense of urgency here . . . but how many is the real question on how effective the new force will be.”

Goal’s chief executive, John O’Shea, said the UN Security Council had been duped by the Sudanese government.

“The Sudanese government is not serious about allowing UN peacekeepers to be deployed in Darfur alongside the African Union force. They will allow only a token number which will have no meaningful impact on the unfolding tragedy,” he said.

“The Sudanese government want as few witnesses as possible to what they are doing and what they intend to do to the vulnerable people of Darfur,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Green Party has stated that the National Pensions Reserve Fund is making unethical investments.

Dan Boyle TD said that in June, the party published a Bill that would see an end to Irish funds being invested in unethical industries including weapons manufacture, tobacco production and companies profiting from the conflict in Sudan.

“Many people are unaware that Irish taxpayers’ money is being invested in companies operating in countries such as Sudan, where massive human rights abuses are taking place,” he said.

The public needed to be made aware of where the money was going. It was unethical that public money was used to profit from the spoils of war and the misfortune of its victims, he said.

“Considering the massive human rights abuses and ongoing genocide in Darfur, the Green Party is calling for cross-party support to change the way the fund operates.

“It is a tragic farce that the Government supports overseas aid projects while at the same time it invests millions of euros in businesses profiting from the conflicts that bring about the need for aid in the first place,” he said.

(Irish Times)