The European Parliament adopted a resolution tabled pursuant to Rule 91 of the Rules of Procedure by the Committee on Development on the situation in Darfur.
MEPs ask Member States of the EU to monitor more strictly the arms embargo against Khartoum and to enforce a no-fly zone over the region. They also call for an in-depth investigation on unpaid African-Union mission soldiers.
The European Parliament deplores the human rights situation in Darfur, where the conflict has directly affected more than 4.5 million people and more than 3 million depend on food aid. The UN is called to act in line with its "Responsibility to Protect", basing its action on the failure of the Government of Sudan (GoS) to protect its population in Darfur from war crimes and crimes against humanity, and also its failure to provide humanitarian assistance to its population.
It calls on the Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, to exert more pressure on the GoS to comply with the positions taken by the UNSC and to emphasise that lack of compliance with UN calls will result in punitive measures.
The Member States, the Council and the Commission are urged to assume their responsibilities and make every possible effort to provide effective protection for the people of Darfur from a humanitarian disaster.
The Parliament condemns the blatant violation of the UN arms embargo by the GoS and invites the Member States to introduce forthwith stricter monitoring and verification procedures to ensure compliance with the UN Security Council Resolution 1591 (2005) and EU Council Common Position 2005/411/CFSP of 30 May 2005 concerning restrictive measures against Sudan.
MEPs welcome the acceptance by the GoS on 12 June 2007 of the AU/UN hybrid force, recalling however that the GoS has made previous unfulfilled commitments to allow the hybrid force into Sudan. They stress the importance of making adequate preparation for the hybrid force and of the swiftest possible deployment and continued cooperation of the Sudanese authorities. They call, therefore, for a rapid deployment of the AU/UN hybrid force with a mandate which enables it to efficiently protect civilians. They point out that any solution to the conflict will be a political and not a military one.
Parliament calls on the EU and other international donors to urgently provide additional support to AMIS under its present structure, including long-term funding commitments as well as much needed technical support for a transitional period until the hybrid force is completely implemented. It calls for an in-depth investigation into the fact that at least some AMIS soldiers have not received any pay for many months.
The Government of Sudan is called on to :
- address environmental issues and in particular to reduce the environmental impact of its oil industry and agricultural practices and prevent local conflicts over natural resources;
- publish the amount of its oil revenues in a transparent way and calls on the Member States to encourage divestment of European companies and funds from Sudan;
- ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access to those affected by the conflict and to respect international humanitarian law;
- urgently establish a road map for the resettlement of the Internally Displaced Persons and refugees, for the restitution of their property and compensation, for a special fund for the victims of rape, women who have been rejected by their families or borne children as a result of rape, and their rehabilitation.
Lastly, the Parliament welcomes the signs that China is now more willing to promote peace in Darfur. It further calls on China to cease exporting arms to Sudan and to cease blocking decisions on targeted sanctions against the GoS in the UNSC.