EU parliament calls for freeze on Sudan leaders’ assets

May 22, 2008 (STRASBOURG) – The European Parliament on Thursday urged the EU to freeze the assets of Sudanese leaders who don’t cooperate with the international criminal court which has arrest warrants out for two officials.

The MEPs called on the 27 European Union leaders “to take steps”, at their next summit in June, “against a clearly identified group of Sudanese officials who bear responsibility for Sudan’s non-cooperation” with the Hague-based court.

The parliament specifically called for the seizure of assets for these officials plus the identifying and targeting of “the offshore assets of businesses affiliated with the National Congress Party (the government majority party), a major conduit for financing militias in Darfur”.

The MEPs also called for the identified leaders to be denied access to all EU banks and European companies “targeting especially the revenue flow from the petroleum sector.”

The United Nations says the death toll from five years of war, famine and disease in Darfur may be up to 300,000. Khartoum puts the toll at 9,000.

The European Parliament, sitting in Strasbourg, observed that former Sudanese interior minister Ahmad Harun and former Janjaweed militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman had been cited by the court for 51 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Harun, the parliament pointed out, is now humanitarian affairs minister while the militia leader, also known as Ali Kushayb, was released from jail in Sudan in October 2007 despite the international arrest warrant against him.

The EU has already imposed sanctions against some Sudanese leaders accused of breaking an arms embargo.

(AFP)