UK Brown warns of sanctions if Darfur talks fail

October 28, 2007 (LONDON) — Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Sunday warned of more sanctions if progress was not made at talks in Libya to end four years of violence in the western Sudanese region.

Speaking at his Downing Street office, Brown urged all parties to take part in the discussions, after key rebel groups boycotted the talks in the Mediterranean city of Sirte sponsored by the African Union and United Nations.

“We want to be there to help with economic reconstruction,” Brown said.

“We promise to put money in but, of course, if people don’t come to the ceasefire and if the talks fail we will consider further sanctions.”

Brown added that the talks in Sirte came at a “critical moment for Darfur”, where an estimated 200,000 people have been killed and two million others displaced in the past four years.

The Sudanese government declared a unilateral ceasefire in Darfur at the opening of the talks on Saturday.

“If we can find a way forward with both a ceasefire and talks involving all the parties then there is hope for the area,” he said.

“I call on all the parties to attend the ceasefire talks and peace talks. I call also on the people [rebels] to follow the government of Sudan in having a ceasefire. At the same time I am urging the United Nations to speed up the deployment of peace keeping forces.”

An African Union force has been deployed in Darfur as peacekeepers but was woefully undermanned and ill-equipped. Efforts to deploy the hybrid AU-UN force have been delayed with objections from Khartoum and logistical difficulties.

UN officials say the UN-AU force will comprise more than 19,000 military personnel, over 6,000 police and over 5,500 civilians, but will not be fully deployed until well into next year.

“The message must be that we are there to help but other parties must now come to the talks and the ceasefire must be effective.

“We must work for an end to the violence that has displaced two million people.”

(AFP)