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08/04/2004
Action needed in Sudan to prevent another Rwanda: Annan
Ten years after more than 800,000 Rwandan Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered by their fellow countrymen, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called for action to stop human rights abuses in Sudan.
Addressing the Geneva-based UN Commission on Human Rights yesterday, Mr Annan voiced his “grave concern” over reported human rights abuses in Darfur, citing a recent warning by the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator of "ethnic cleansing" in the area.
“Such reports leave me with a deep sense of foreboding. Whatever terms it uses to describe the situation, the international community cannot stand idle,” said Mr Annan.
The Secretary-General said that "decisive action" in Darfur would be “the only fitting memorial” the UN can offer to those who perished in the hundred-day frenzy of ethnic violence that overtook Rwanda in 1994.
President George W Bush has also condemned the recent atrocities and appealed directly to President Bashir of Sudan to stop local militias from "committing atrocities" against the local population.
The Sudanese were also urged to provide "unrestricted access" to humanitarian aid agencies.
President Bush's appeal comes after more than two-and-a-half years of diplomatic efforts between the US, the Sudanese government and the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) to bring peace to Sudan.
Mr Bush said: "This civil war is one of the worst humanitarian tragedies of our time, responsible for the deaths of two million people over two decades. Achieving peace, and reaching a just and comprehensive agreement, must be an urgent priority for both sides.
"I continue to hope for peace for the people of Sudan and for normalization of relations between Sudan and the United States. However, the government of Sudan must not remain complicit in the brutalisation of Darfur. I renew my call to Khartoum to bring the peace process with the SPLM to a just conclusion and to bring peace and justice to Darfur."
Elsewhere, Kofi Annan has outlined his five-point 'Action Plan to Prevent Genocide' - the first step of which must be to prevent armed conflict by addressing the issues that cause it, he said.
“We must attack the roots of violence and genocide: hatred, intolerance, racism, tyranny, and the dehumanising public discourse that denies whole groups of people their dignity and their rights,” he said.
Mr Annan's prevention plan also called for; closer protection of civilians during war; bringing the participants of genocide to justice; creating an early-warning mechanism for the Security Council; and taking swift and decisive action against instances of genocide as they arise.
“If there is one legacy I would most wish to leave to my successors, it is an Organization both better equipped to prevent genocide, and able to act decisively to stop it when prevention fails,” said Mr Annan.
(gmcg)
Addressing the Geneva-based UN Commission on Human Rights yesterday, Mr Annan voiced his “grave concern” over reported human rights abuses in Darfur, citing a recent warning by the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator of "ethnic cleansing" in the area.
“Such reports leave me with a deep sense of foreboding. Whatever terms it uses to describe the situation, the international community cannot stand idle,” said Mr Annan.
The Secretary-General said that "decisive action" in Darfur would be “the only fitting memorial” the UN can offer to those who perished in the hundred-day frenzy of ethnic violence that overtook Rwanda in 1994.
President George W Bush has also condemned the recent atrocities and appealed directly to President Bashir of Sudan to stop local militias from "committing atrocities" against the local population.
The Sudanese were also urged to provide "unrestricted access" to humanitarian aid agencies.
President Bush's appeal comes after more than two-and-a-half years of diplomatic efforts between the US, the Sudanese government and the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) to bring peace to Sudan.
Mr Bush said: "This civil war is one of the worst humanitarian tragedies of our time, responsible for the deaths of two million people over two decades. Achieving peace, and reaching a just and comprehensive agreement, must be an urgent priority for both sides.
"I continue to hope for peace for the people of Sudan and for normalization of relations between Sudan and the United States. However, the government of Sudan must not remain complicit in the brutalisation of Darfur. I renew my call to Khartoum to bring the peace process with the SPLM to a just conclusion and to bring peace and justice to Darfur."
Elsewhere, Kofi Annan has outlined his five-point 'Action Plan to Prevent Genocide' - the first step of which must be to prevent armed conflict by addressing the issues that cause it, he said.
“We must attack the roots of violence and genocide: hatred, intolerance, racism, tyranny, and the dehumanising public discourse that denies whole groups of people their dignity and their rights,” he said.
Mr Annan's prevention plan also called for; closer protection of civilians during war; bringing the participants of genocide to justice; creating an early-warning mechanism for the Security Council; and taking swift and decisive action against instances of genocide as they arise.
“If there is one legacy I would most wish to leave to my successors, it is an Organization both better equipped to prevent genocide, and able to act decisively to stop it when prevention fails,” said Mr Annan.
(gmcg)
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There is no time to waste in making efforts to end Sudan's long nightmare, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has told a special session of the security council.
No time to lose in resolving Sudan's long nightmare, says Annan
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Action will be taken if militias are not disarmed, UN warns Sudan
The UN Security Council has voted today to take action against Sudan if it does not disarm the Arab militias accused of "indiscriminate murders, rapes and other attacks" against civilians in the troubled Darfur region. The vote, which saw two of the 15 members abstaining, has demanded that Sudan bring the leaders of Janjaweed militia to justice.
05 August 2004
Sudan's militia must be disarmed - there are 'no excuses', says Annan
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Sudan's militia must be disarmed - there are 'no excuses', says Annan
Sudan has been warned that there can be "no confusion or no excuses" for not quickly bringing to a close the murderous outrages carried out by government-backed militias in the northern Darfur region. And while there has been progress on humanitarian access to remote Darfur, Khartoum has “much more” to do on improving security for the 1.
02 August 2004
UN warns Sudan to address Darfur crisis or face action
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UN warns Sudan to address Darfur crisis or face action
The UN has pledged to take action against Sudan within 30 days if it does not make progress on disarming the militias accused of indiscriminate murders, rapes and other attacks against civilians in the Darfur region Punitive measures include steps allowed under the UN Charter, such as issuing economic penalties, restricting transport and communicat
17 June 2004
Annan to visit Sudan over humanitarian crisis
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan today announced plans to travel to Sudan, after the world body earlier this week accused the Sudanese government of being responsible for the slaughter of dozens of civilians in villages in the Darfur region of the country.
Annan to visit Sudan over humanitarian crisis
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan today announced plans to travel to Sudan, after the world body earlier this week accused the Sudanese government of being responsible for the slaughter of dozens of civilians in villages in the Darfur region of the country.
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