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September 2, 2004, Scotsman UN'S DAMNING VERDICT: SUDAN HAS FAILED TO HALT THE KILLING Gethin Chamberlain Diplomatic Correspondent SUDAN has failed to protect its citizens from armed militias, the United Nations Security Council has decided in a surprisingly damning report on the Khartoum regime. It demands that an international force be sent to the African state to guarantee the safety of people in Darfur and end a catastrophe which has seen tens of thousands killed. Three days after the deadline ran out for the Sudanese government to disarm the Janjaweed militia it used to drive more than 1.3 million people from their homes in Darfur, the Security Council will today be asked to decide what should now happen to force the regime to comply with the will of the international community. Kofi Annan's report to the Security Council leaves little room for doubt. Referring to the demands of the 30 July Security Council resolution it says: "Stopping attacks against civilians and ensuring their protection is the responsibility of the government of Sudan. The government has not met this obligation fully, despite the commitments it has made. "Attacks against civilians are continuing and the vast majority of armed militias has not been disarmed. Similarly, no concrete steps have been taken to bring to justice or even identify any of the militia leaders or the perpetrators of these attacks, allowing the violations of human rights and the basic laws of war to continue in a climate of impunity." The report - compiled by Mr Annan's special envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk - pulls no punches. It accuses Sudanese forces of taking part in attacks after the Security Council passed its resolution, and it paints a picture of a region whose people live in daily fear of fresh attack. "It is incumbent upon the government of Sudan to ensure that no more attacks on civilians occur, whether the perpetrators are under its influence or not," it says. "The government should be prepared to accept assistance from the international community if it is unable to stop these attacks and ensure the protection of the civilian population in the Darfur region." Mr Annan's report provides a blueprint for an expanded international presence. Currently, the African Union has 80 military observers protected by about 300 soldiers in Darfur to monitor a rarely observed ceasefire signed in April. Last night, UN diplomats indicated that the UN plan called for about 3,000 peacekeepers, but stressed that the final decision was up to the African Union. The 53-nation group, currently headed by Nigeria, is expected to make its recommendation in the coming days. Last month, the African Union proposed sending nearly 2,000 peacekeepers, an offer initially rejected by the Sudanese government. Britain, which has backed the idea of a large African Union force, is expected to throw its weight behind the plan at the security council meeting. Last night Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, said the report confirmed what he saw first hand when he visited Darfur last week. "There has been some progress in Sudan over the past 30 days, including improvements in the humanitarian situation and limited disarmament of the Popular Defence Force. But we need to see much more," he said. "The government of Sudan is still not doing enough to disarm the militias. A culture of impunity continues, with no evidence that the perpetrators of these appalling attacks are being brought to justice. I believe that the modest improvements to date have come about primarily because of the pressure exerted by the international community." The Labour MEP Glenys Kinnock went further, calling for targeted sanctions to be imposed immediately on those responsible for the carnage in Sudan. Mrs Kinnock said the international community must "call the bluff" of the Khartoum government and force it to accept responsibility for the crisis in the Darfur region. Britain and the US had wanted Sudan to face the threat of sanctions if, as the report says is the case, it failed to comply with the resolution. However, other key nations including Russia and China opposed the move and they have made clear that their position has not changed. The report cites specific examples of fresh violence and there was further confirmation yesterday that attacks are continuing. A weekly UN briefing said that despite a ceasefire, Sudanese forces and rebels were fighting in western Darfur, closing roads to aid workers and disrupting supplies to refugees.
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................................................................................................................. Copyright ©2004 Gethin Chamberlain. All rights reserved. |
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