For immediate release

14 March 2005

Press Release:

MPs and Peers demand peace enforcement in Darfur

In a statement released today, an influential group of MPs and Peers, drawn from both Houses of Parliament and including Rt Hon Clare Short MP, Lord Lester QC, and former Shadow Secretary of State for International Development John Bercow MP, have called on the UK to propose that the UN Security Council mandate peace-enforcement operations in Darfur. 

Noting the progressive deterioration of the situation in Darfur over recent months, and the tense dialogue between the Government of Sudan and the SLA/JEM rebels, the Parliamentarians argue that security in Darfur must be the priority, and that the current African Union monitoring mission is wholly inadequate in size, resources and its mandate.

Clare Short said We are calling on the UK government to propose a UN resolution that would mandate an enlarged African Union force, with peace enforcement powers.  This is of the utmost importance: such a resolution would ensure that the Darfur mission had greater powers and was funded through the normal system whereby member states are required to fund UN peacekeeping missions.She added,  Such as resolution would also increase the authority of the African Union force, enable it to be enlarged and obtain better logistics.

Ends.

For further information, please contact Jessica Drewery: dreweryj@parliament.uk, tel 020 7219 4264

Darfur: People need Protection

Despite humanitarian efforts, political dialogue and the process of justice, civilians in Darfur continue to perish.

We note that:
       

·      On 29 January the UN Under Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, Jan Egeland, said the high level of insecurity was seriously hampering the ability of international organizations to deliver aid to many internally displaced people.  In January, the World Food Programme only reached 900,000 people around 50% of their target.  This was significantly less than the previous month. He estimates that if access was cut off from Darfur because of insecurity people would die at a rate of 100,000 per month.

·      The African Union envoy to Sudan, Baba Gana Kingibe, has stated that the security situation in North and South Darfur in particular had progressively deteriorated to appalling levels over the last four months with unacceptable consequences to the peace and tranquillity of the civilian populations.

·      The UN estimates that 70,000 people died between April and September 2004.  Combined mortality from violence, malnutrition and disease from the beginning of the conflict in February 2003 until now could be more than 300,000 people.

·      The political dialogue between the Government of Sudan and the SLA/JEM rebels has been characterised by tension and breaking of the ceasefire throughout 2004.

·      The report of the UNs International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur detailed many atrocities in Darfur.  The Commission recommends the situation in Darfur be referred to the International Criminal Court, to bring individual perpetrators to account. 

·      Violence is continuing and the use of rape is increasing.

We argue that:

·      The security of people in Darfur must be given priority; the discussion on whether it is genocide is taking place or not is immaterial to those who are suffering continuing violence and intimidation. Debates about what to call the crisis can be discussed and decided by lawyers over time.  The international community has discussed this growing catastrophe for too long. There is urgent need for action to provide protection.

·      The current observer mission in Darfur of less than one thousand African Union soldiers is wholly inadequate in size, resources and its mandate.

·      The success of the North-South Sudanese peace deal is likely to be at risk without a resolution of the crisis in Darfur.

We propose that:

·      HMG should propose that the UN Security Council should mandate peace-enforcement operations in Darfur.  Forces should be led by the African Union and supported with finance and logistics through a UN mandate.

Signed (at 14th March 1700h):

·      Clare Short MP         
·      Lord Judd                     
·      George Foulkes MP      
·      Tom Clarke MP          
·      Tony Lloyd MP          
·      Rob Marris MP          
·      Mark Lazarowicz               
·      Dr Jenny Tonge MP      
·      Lord Lester            
·      John Bercow MP
·      Lord Astor             
·      Andrew Robathan MP     
·      Baroness Cox           
·      Lord Alton             
__________
Mark Pallis
Coordinator and Policy Director
All Party Parliamentary Group on the Great Lakes Region and Genocide Prevention
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
file://www.appggreatlakes.org/
Tel:  +44 (0)207 219 1165
Fax: +44 (0)207 219 2798