Citing Darfur ‘Genocide’, US Bush demands ceasefire
September 25, 2007 (UNITED NATIONS) — President George W. Bush said the violence in the Darfur region of Sudan amounted to “genocide” and demanded the Sudanese government and rebel groups cease hostilities to let aid reach victims of the conflict.
“We expect President (Omar Hassan) Bashir to observe a cease-fire during next month’s peace talks and we expect the rebels to do the same,” Bush told the U.N. Security Council.
“My nation has labeled what’s taking place in Darfur as genocide and when you find genocide it’s time to do something about it,” he said. “Time is of the essence.” in taking action to stop the killing and that more international forces are needed.
He said the current African Union peacekeeping force of around 7,000 troops was not enough to stop the killing in an area bigger than Texas and France.
“Maybe some don’t think it’s genocide,” he said today. “If you are mercilessly killed by roaming bands, you know it is genocide. And the fundamental question is, are we in the free world willing to do more?”
The U.S. is the only nation on the Security Council that has branded the four-year-old conflict in Darfur region of Sudan as genocide. More than 200,000 people have died and 2 million have been driven from their homes. Bush called on the government of President Omar al-Bashir and rebels to observe a cease-fire during peace talks scheduled for next month in Libya.
Bush said he expected all members of the council to take steps that will halt the flow of arms to Darfur and implement UN sanctions imposed on Sudan’s government and rebel groups.
“We want the words of this Security Council to mean something,” Bush said. “We want words followed by action. The conflict in Darfur has claimed too many lives. There is too much suffering.”
Bush praised the Security Council resolution adopted today that backed deployment of as many as 3,000 European Union soldiers and UN police to Chad and Central African Republic to protect people who fled violence in Darfur.
He also thanked U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon for his efforts on Darfur but said more needed to be done.
“The fundamental question is: are we, the free world, willing to do more?” Bush asked.
(Bloomberg/Reuters)