TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE IN DARFUR
September 17, 2006 12:00 AM
Speaking following the "Global Day for Darfur" event at the Liberal Democrat Conference in Brighton, North East England Lib Dem Fiona Hall MEP, who speaks on International Development in the European Parliament, said:
"Today's international day of action for Darfur seeks to highlight the desperate humanitarian situation there.
"Unrelenting pressure is needed to persuade Sudan to accept a UN peace-keeping force for Darfur, to take over from the under-resourced African Union force. UN Security Council Resolution 1706 has already given the mandate for a UN force.
"Diplomatic effort is needed at the highest level to bring Russia and China into the process to add to the pressure on the Government of Sudan.
"Time is of the essence because the Government of Sudan has asked the African Union force to leave at the end of September.
"In 2004 I saw the evidence of Sudanese supposed peace-keeping, in a village shelled by Government helicopters. If Sudan is left to do "peace-keeping" operations on its own without any international presence then I am very afraid there will be a massacre on the scale of the Rwandan genocide."
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