BELGIUM/CHAD: EU must act now to stop the killing in Darfur with economic sanctions and no fly zone, Human Rights Watch say
Record ID:
455476
BELGIUM/CHAD: EU must act now to stop the killing in Darfur with economic sanctions and no fly zone, Human Rights Watch say
- Title: BELGIUM/CHAD: EU must act now to stop the killing in Darfur with economic sanctions and no fly zone, Human Rights Watch say
- Date: 16th December 2006
- Summary: (AD1) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (DECEMBER 13, 2006) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH OFFICE GARETH EVANS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP ENTERING BRIEFING ROOM FOLLOWED BY KENNETH ROTH OF HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH JOURNALISTS SITTING DOWN EVANS AND ROTH SITTING DOWN (SOUNDBITE) (English) KENNETH ROTH OF HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH SAYING: "The situation in Darfur is that we have now, conservatively, more than 200,000 dead. More than 2 million displaced, another 2 million, that is to say approximately 4 million out of a population of 6 million that is dependent on international assistance. And about 1 million out of those 4 million in need do not currently have access to international assistance. They have been closed off because of the abuses associated with the conflict. There have been countless cases of rape and sexual assaults. Countless villages that have been destroyed and pillaged. A= large portion of the population of Darfur is now of course concentrated in various camps for the internally displaced, particularly the smaller of these camps are highly vulnerable to attack by the Sudanese government's proxy milita the so-calledJanjaweed" CRISIS GROUP PAMPHLET AND JOURNALIST TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (English) GARETH EVANS, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP, SAYING: "The EU's patience, as well as the international community as a whole is now exhausted with Karthoum. Unless Karthoum signs up to and delivers on immediate cessation of civilian attacks, immediate complete embrace and beginnings of implementation of the new hybrid force and clear willingness to move to renegotiate the peace settlement then there will be strong EU support for tough measures, in particular the set of economic sanctions that we mentioned with the primary focus being on as we say in the first instance the Security Council. The subtext should clearly be that the EU is willing to stand behind and enforce any such sanctions that might be agreed and indeed consider sanctions of its own in the event the Security Council doesn't agree. I wouldn't expect that to be spelt out in the statement but I would expect that to be the subtext in the understanding. And the further at least subtext that we would be looking for and hopefully something more substantial in the statement as well is support again for the application of the no fly zone in the event the aerial attacks on civilians should continue." JOURNALISTS SITTING AND LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) KENNETH ROTH OF HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH SAYING: There is increasing evidence that China does not want to be seen as the guardian of thugs and murderers around the world, that it aspires to a global role and recognises that that role has to be responsible . Europe can hasten that evolution by insisting both publicly and privately with Beijing that its time to stop the charade, to stop pretending that the minimalist involvement of the international community is going to be sufficient and to insist that Beijing lay down the law now with respect to Karthoum. JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION EVANS AND ROTH LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) KENNETH ROTH OF HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH SAYING: In terms of pressure on Karthoum the European Union has not even adopted the commercial sanctions that the US has adopted. Indeed a number of governments, particularly Germany and France are still vying for commercial contracts rather than vying to protect the people of Darfur" (SOUNDBITE) (English) GARETH EVANS, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP, SAYING: Its only when Karthoum felt under pressure that it had to yield, had to cooperate that we saw that negotiation occur. Similarly its time for all these forms of external pressure to really now be applied. Over and over again we've seen Karthoum ducking and weaving and semi- agreeing and saying 'yes its fine in principle but we just need to sort of agree on the detail' and then they never do agree on the detail and frankly they are laughing. They are laughing all the way because the pressure has not been applied. Time now for that to happen and I think that will change the dynamic if that occurs" (SOUNDBITE) (English) KENNETH ROTH OF HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH SAYING: The situation on the ground is not as simple as sometimes portrayed but lets not lose sight of what the dominant reality is which is that the vast majority of the killing has been at the hands of the government-sponsored Janjaweed" JOURNALISTS LEAVING AT THE END OF THE NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 31st December 2006 12:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA44UZ2Q1J9ABI8AZJK3YTTB80F
- Story Text: The European Union must take tough action against against Khartoum to stop the killing in the Darfur region of Sudan and give its support to United Nations (UN) efforts to force Sudanese President El Bashir to prevent violence said human rights organisations on Wednesday (December 13).
Speaking on the eve of a European heads of state summit in Brussels Human Rights Watch and the International Critis Group said the EU had thus far failed to put the appropriate pressure on the Sudanese government and now needed to marry words with tough action in the form of tough economic sanctions and a no fly zone over Darfur.
The International Criminal Court in the Hague must also speed up the process of indicting suspects for atrocities in Darfur.
The Financial Times reported on Wednesday (December 13) that British Prime Minister Tony Blair has backed imposing a no-fly zone whilst military planners in Washington are also developing plans for air strikes and a naval blockade to pressure Khartoum to stop the violence.
Human Rights Watch says the government's claims that the violence is exaggerated are contradicted by their own evidence that the government has given aerial support for the Janjaweed militia which U.N. human rights officials blame for some of the worst offences, including rape and wide-scale murder,.
"The situation in Darfur is that we have now, conservatively, more than 200,000 dead. More than 2 million displaced, another 2 million, that is to say approximately 4 million out of a population of 6 million that is dependent on international assistance. And about 1 million out of those 4 million in need do not currently have access to international assistance. They have been closed off because of the abuses associated with the conflict. There have been countless cases of rape and sexual assaults. Countless villages that have been destroyed and pillaged. A large portion of the population of Darfur is now of course concentrated in various camps for the internally displaced, particularly the smaller of these camps are highly vulnerable to attack by the Sudanese government's proxy militia the so-called Janjaweed," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch.
The two groups were among the first to warn of the Darfur crisis and on Wednesday called for effective economic, legal and military measures to stop the killing
International Crisis Group president Gareth Evans said robust military action in the form of ground troops would be difficult because of implications for the North-South peace agreement which he said is extremely fragile and also because of its impact on humanitarian relief operations. However the serious threat of military action should be enough to stir Sudanese President Omar El Bashir into complying with international demands to end the government's support for the Janjaweed.
But the EU needs to send a strong message, he says, that its patience is now exhausted.
"The EU's patience, as well as the international community as a whole is now exhausted with Khartoum, unless Khartoum signs up to and delivers on immediate cessation of civilian attacks, immediate complete embrace and beginnings of implementation of the new hybrid force and clear willingness to move to renegotiate the peace settlement then there will be strong EU support for tough measures, in particular the set of economic sanctions that we mentioned with the primary focus being on as we say in the first instance the Security Council. The subtext should clearly be that the EU is willing to stand behind and enforce any such sanctions that might be agreed and indeed consider sanctions of its own in the event the Security Council doesn't agree. I wouldn't expect that to be spelt out in the statement but I would expect that to be the subtext in the understanding. And the further at least subtext that we would be looking for and hopefully something more substantial in the statement as well is support again for the application of the no fly zone in the event that aerial attacks on civilians should continue," Evans said.
Evans praised the United States and the United Kingdom for spearheading calls for action but added that they were hampered by past failures in the region. This is why broad international support is now needed, not least that of Beijing.
China consumes almost two-thirds of Sudan's oil exports and has clear economic interests in maintaining the region stable but many doubt China will back any UN plan for economic sanctions or military action that could affect its oil purchases.
Roth said the EU had a crucial role in persuading China to join international efforts to reign in increasingly brazen attacks by el Bashir's militia.
"There is increasing evidence that China does not want to be seen as the guardian of thugs and murderers around the world, that it aspires to a global role and recognises that that role has to be responsible . Europe can hasten that evolution by insisting both publicly and privately with Beijing that its time to stop the charade, to stop pretending that the minimalist involvement of the international community is going to be sufficient and to insist that Beijing lay down the law now with respect to Khartoum," Roth said.
The International Crisis Group director said previous attempts at forcing an end to hostilities had failed because of a lack of a real pressure. He cited a demand in 2005 that Khartoum cease offensive military flights which was ignored because it was not backed by a strategy to guarantee it was put into effect.
As a result the international community is losing credibility, Evans said, and the time has come for tough action in view of the stark evidence. The government has denied giving support to the Janjaweed.
"Its only when Khartoum felt under pressure that it had to yield, had to cooperate that we saw that negotiation occur. Similarly its time for all these forms of external pressure to really now be applied. Over and over again we've seen Khartoum ducking and weaving and semi- agreeing and saying 'yes its fine in principle but we just need to sort of agree on the detail' and then they never do agree on the detail and frankly they are laughing. They are laughing all the way because the pressure has not been applied. Time now for that to happen and I think that will change the dynamic if that occurs," Evans said.
The situation on the ground is not as simple as sometimes portrayed but lets not lose sight of what the dominant reality is which is that the vast majority of the killing has been at the hands of the government-sponsored Janjaweed," Roth added.
The two advocacy groups said UN prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo's plan to indict suspects for atrocities in Darfur by February sent the right message to the perpetrators of violence. Roth said Ocampo is now conducting an assessment of Khartoum's prosecutorial efforts before deciding if the the International Criminal Court at the Hague must proceed with its own investigation and go to court.
Human Rights Watch says the Sudanese government's efforts to date are "a joke". One senior official was charged and acquitted, Roth says, and 10 further convictions were of low level officials he added.
Therefore Roth urges the ICC to proceed with its own investigation much sooner.
In a report ahead of his address on Thursday in New York Moreno Ocampo said his office was preparing submissions for arrest warrants to judges of the ICC's pre-trial chamber and that the court would indict suspects in February. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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