France to express concern over Sudan’s troubled Darfur?
PARIS, Sept 14, 2004 (KUNA) — French officials will deliver a “constant message” of concern for the security, humanitarian and political situation in the Darfur region of Western Sudan when a Sudanese Ministerial delegation meets French Junior Minister for Foreign Affairs Renaud Muselier [photo] Tuesday evening.
Official sources said that France will maintain its position that there is ”urgency” on the security front and “the obligation is to put an end to the brutality of the different militias, notably the “Janjaweed,” who are supported by the authorities in Khartoum.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Herve Ladsous said that concerning the much-feared “Janjaweed” militia, “the Sudanese government has a clear obligation to act, an obligation confirmed the resolution of the (UN) Security Council last month.”
The Sudanese delegation is headed by Junior Minister for Foreign Affairs Fidail Al-Tijani and Junior Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Mohammed Yusef and the delegation has been touring Europe to give Khartoum’s view of the crisis.
France will also reiterate the need to improve the humanitarian situation for the ethnic African populations in Darfur, who have been the targets of brutal repression and have been chased from their villages. Sudan argues that it is fighting a rebellion in the area and it is true there are two militias fighting the government-backed forces.
These militias have also broken the cease-fire agreements brokered in the Nigerian town of Abuja, but which are difficult to implement on the ground.
Ladsous said the Abuja talks were “globally advancing, even if we regret the slowness” of progress.
He noted that the crisis was “extremely grave, extremely worrying,” but France has resisted attempts by the United States to get a resolution in the UN putting sanctions on Sudan.
France rejects the US term of genocide for what is happening in Darfur, preferring the term “massive violation of human rights.”
More than 1.2 million people have been displaced by the fighting and the ”Janjaweed” sweeps of the area. Many refugees are on the border with Chad or have fled to that neighbouring country and UN agencies say 10,000 people a week are dying from a variety of diseases and hunger, but mainly from diarrhoea.
UN officials also complained that they have not had enough resource pledged to help with the Darfur disaster.