EU, US express “grave concern” over Darfur
ENNIS, Ireland, June 26 (AFP) — The United States and the European Union jointly expressed “grave concern” Saturday about Sudan’s strife-torn region of Darfur and called on Khartoum to crack down on militias there.
“We reiterate our call on the Government of Sudan to immediately stop the violence perpetrated by the Jingaweit, secure the protection and security of civilians and humanitarian workers, disarm the militias, and allow full and unimpeded access by humanitarian groups to Darfur,” they said in a statement.
The White House released the document at the tail end of the annual EU-US summit, being held at the luxury Dromoland Castle resort near here.
A UN human rights report released last month accused the Sudanese government of committing massive human rights violations in the region, where at least 10,000 people have been killed.
Another one million have been displaced and at least 120,000 refugees have poured into neighbouring Chad. According to the United Nations, many of them are afraid to return for fear that the militias will kill them.
“We express grave concern at the continuing humanitarian crisis in Darfur,” the United States and EU said in their statement, warning that hundreds of thousands of people there need “immediate life-saving relief.”
Fighting broke out in Darfur in February 2003, when black African rebel groups — complaining that their region was marginalised and that local people were poorly protected — rose up against the Khartoum government.
The government’s response was to give one Arab militia group, the Janjawid, a largely free hand in cracking down on the rebels.
The United States and European Union insisted that “those responsible for the atrocities must be held accountable.”
International heavyweights have been increasing pressure on Sudan to resolve the Darfur crisis, as Khartoum accuses “foreigners” of seeking a new pretext to interfere in its affairs.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell is to arrive in Darfur on Tuesday, bringing with him 95 million dollars in emergency humanitarian assistance, which was voted by the US Senate on Thursday.
United Nations Secretary Kofi Annan will be close behind, with a trip to Khartoum planned for June 30.
They follow Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Margherita Boniver, her French counterpart Renaud Muselier, Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey and the chief executive of the UN Children’s Fund, Carol Bellamy.
The diplomatic missions have gained urgency with the arrival of the rainy season, which will hinder aid to the region by making roads impassable.
Under heavy pressure, Sudanese President Omar el-Beshir announced last weekend that his Islamic government had ordered the army to disarm the Janjawid, stabilize the region and prevent fighting from spilling over into neighboring Chad.
But that order has been greeted with skeptically in Washington and in an interview with an Egyptian newspaper published Wednesday, Beshir accused unnamed foreigners of trying to take advantage of the crisis to intervene in Sudan’s affairs and denied his government was blocking aid.