Canada offers Darfur aid, eschews ‘genocide’ label

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 22 (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin promised on Wednesday to help fund an African Union mission in Sudan’s troubled Darfur region but he skirted the issue of whether what was happening there was genocide.

“It is good that the international community is finally moving, but it has taken far too long,” Martin said in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly as he announced Canada’s support of C$20 million ($16 million).

“The Security Council has been bogged down in debating the issue,” he said, referring to discussions about whether abuse by Arab militia on African villagers constituted genocide or a threat to international peace and security.

“Either could provide justification in international law for intervention. The fact is though that while the international community struggles with definitions, the people of Darfur continue to suffer,” he said.

“They are hungry, they are homeless, they are sick and many have been driven out of their own country. Tens of thousands have been murdered, raped and assaulted. War crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed. We must not let debates about definitions become obstacles to action,” Martin said.

The 15-member Security Council adopted a resolution on Saturday threatening Sudan with oil sanctions if it did not stop atrocities in the Darfur region, where an estimated 50,000 people have died and 1.2 million forced out of their homes by militia.

The U.S.-drafted resolution called for an expanded African Union monitoring force and an international probe into abuses, including genocide. U.N. officials hope the African Union, with help from rich nations, can field at least 3,000 troops and observers.

($1=$1.28 Canadian)