Darfur faces possible ‘genocide’: Swedish foreign minister

STOCKHOLM, May 9 (AFP) — The deadly conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region, which pits local non-Arabs against marauding militias and the Khartoum government, could degenerate into genocide, Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds said Sunday.

“There is absolutely a risk (of genocide). There are signs that could develop into something very, very serious”, Freivalds told Sweden’s TT news agency.

Freivalds appealed for immediate action by the international community, saying failure to intervene could lead to a genocide like that which took place in Rwanda 10 years ago.

More than a million people have been driven from their homes and at least 10,000 killed in Darfur since the outbreak of fighting in February last year, and the United Nations has accused the Arab-run Khartoum government of a deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing.

“We must follow this situation with great care in order to detect signs that could indicate we’re heading toward a very serious situation, up until what resembles genocide,” Freivalds said.

Sweden hosted an international conference on genocide in January, where 50 participating countries were warned of 13 current threats of genocide across the globe, including in Sudan.

Delegates there committed to work to identify and speak out on genocidal threats as early as possible.