European Parliament to describe Darfur crisis as genocide

STRASBOURG, France, Sept 15 (Reuters) – The European Parliament is set to call violence in Sudan’s Darfur region “tantamount to genocide” later this week, echoing strong statements from the United States and toughening the EU stance.

British Labour assembly member Glenys Kinnock said on Wednesday sanctions must be imposed immediately on Khartoum as it was failing to disarm Arab militia or Janjaweed, accused of murder and rape in the remote Darfur area.

“(The European Parliament) urges the Sudanese authorities to end impunity and to bring to justice immediately the perpetrators of crimes against humanity, war crimes and human rights violations which can be construed as tantamount to genocide,” reads the draft resolution to go to the vote on Thursday.

Kinnock, just back from a visit to the war-torn region, also wanted an oil embargo to be included in the resolution but there was a lack of cross-party support. It does call for an arms embargo and demands the release of pro-democracy activists from prison.

“I would also like to see foreign visas stopped and bank accounts frozen (for the Sudanese government),” she told Reuters. “None of these things will hurt the poor people.”

Rebels began an uprising in Darfur in February 2003 after years of skirmishes between mainly African farmers and Arab nomads over land and water. The government turned to the Janjaweed militias to help suppress the rebels.

The United Nations has estimated some 1.2 million people have fled their homes and up to 50,000 people have died from direct violence, starvation or illness in what it describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

The United States has urged action, labelling the violence genocide and presenting a draft United Nations resolution to consider sanctions on the Khartoum government.

The EU has been more cautious though earlier this week Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot, holding the rotating six-month presidency, said the bloc would impose sanctions if Sudan did not take tangible measures to disarm the militias.

Kinnock said she visited a village in Darfur that had been recently bombed where women grabbed her and begged her not to leave, fearing further attacks.

“My personal and strong view of everything I saw is that this is a genocide, coordinated action taken against the African population of Darfur (by the Sudanese government)”.