MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

25.9.2006

to wind up the debate on statements by the Council and Commission
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Eugenijus Maldeikis and Roberts Zīle
on behalf of the UEN Group
on Darfur

B6‑0519/2006

European Parliament resolution on Darfur

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Sudan and Darfur in particular,

–  having regard to all relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 1593 of 31 March 2005 on the situation in Sudan and Resolution 1706 of 31 August 2006 on the authorisation of UN force deployment to Darfur,

–  having regard to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed by the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) on 9 January 2005,

–  having regard to the Report of the UN Secretary-General on the Sudan of 12 September 2006,

–  having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas the UN Security Council has adopted a resolution confirming its readiness to deploy UN peacekeeping troops to Darfur,

B.  whereas the African Union (AU) has decided to extend the mandate of its 7000-strong peacekeeping force in the Sudanese region of Darfur until the end of the year,

C.  whereas until now that African force has been unable to halt the violence that has driven 2.5 million people from their homes and left an estimated 200 000 dead since 2003,

D.  whereas the police launched an offensive military operation on 28 August, with Sudanese troops attacking rebel-controlled villages in Northern Sudan and government aircraft bombarding Kulkul, which has resulted in renewed fighting in areas of North Darfur,

E.  whereas killings, rapes and other abuses of human rights in Darfur continue to threaten peace in Sudan as a whole,

F.  whereas the humanitarian situation has deteriorated sharply since the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement on 5 May, including increased violence against those involved in humanitarian operations, and whereas humanitarian access in Darfur has fallen to its lowest levels since 2003 (below 60 per cent),

G.  whereas the Darfur conflict - and impunity from prosecution - is increasingly affecting the stability of neighbouring eastern Chad and constitutes a threat to international peace and security,

1.  Welcomes the decision by the UN Security Council to deploy UN peacekeeping troops to Darfur, consisting of 17 300 military personnel and up to 3300 civilian police personnel, in order to take over Darfur operations from the Africa Mission in Sudan (AMIS), while reaffirming its full respect for Sudanese sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity;

2.  Regrets the fact that, during his address to the UN General Assembly, the Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir reaffirmed his refusal to authorise a UN peacekeeping deployment to the Darfur region;

3.  Regrets that the ministerial meeting on the crisis in Sudan initiated by the USA and Denmark and attended by 15 members of the Security Council as well as Canada and EU and African nations failed to find a solution to the crisis;

4.  Welcomes the fact that the African Union has extended its mandate to retain its 7000 troops in Darfur for a further 3 months, while noting that the troops are too underfunded and ill-equipped to effectively protect the people scattered through the region;

5.  Expresses its concern that the ongoing violence in Darfur might further negatively affect the rest of the Sudan as well as the region, in particular Chad and the Central African Republic, and stresses that regional security aspects must be addressed to achieve lasting peace in Darfur,

6.  Strongly condemns all violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Darfur, and calls upon the Government of National Unity to take urgent action to tackle gender-based violence in Darfur;

7.  Expresses its deep concern for the security of humanitarian aid workers and their access to populations in need, including refugees, internally displaced persons and other war-affected populations;

8.  Calls upon all parties, in particular the Sudanese Government, to ensure the full, safe and unhindered access of relief personnel to all those in need in Darfur as well as the delivery of humanitarian assistance, in particular to internally displaced persons and refugees;

9.  Condemns the continuing violations of the ceasefire by all parties, and in particular the violence directed at the civilian population and the targeting of humanitarian assistance;

10.  Calls on all parties, including the Sudanese Government, to put an immediate end to military action in Darfur, to abide by the ceasefire agreement and to respect and implement their commitments under the DPA;

11.  Notes with disappointment that Russia, a major supplier of weapons to Sudan, and China, a major consumer of Sudanese oil, both abstained from voting on the UN Security Council Resolution regarding the deployment of the peacekeeping troops, thus sending an unhelpful signal about their unwillingness to press the Sudanese Government to accept the UN deployment;

12.  Calls on the UN Security Council to expand the arms embargo to cover the entire country of Sudan, not just the region of Darfur;

13.  Calls on the EU, the US and other international actors to take all necessary action to end impunity by enforcing the Security Council sanctions regime and seeking to include in this regime targeted sanctions against individuals who obstruct the deployment of the UN force and otherwise contribute to abuses of civilians;

14.  Demands that the Sudanese authorities should not create any obstacles to the deployment and activities of the UN Mission in Darfur;

15.  Calls on the EU and other international actors to work specifically with the UN and the AU to ensure that peacekeeping forces in Darfur have the capability to react rapidly to ceasefire violations or provocations by any party;

16.  Calls on the EU, its Member States and the international community to support the African Union in guaranteeing the safety of the population living in rural areas and thereby enable them to return to their home areas;

17.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Government of Sudan, the African Union, the Governments of the EU Member States, the US, Russia, Chad, Libya, Eritrea, Egypt and China, the UN Secretary-General, the Co-Presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the ACP Council.