|
France urges tough stance against Sudan over Darfur
French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged world powers on Monday to take a tough line with Sudan if it refuses to cooperate with international efforts to end bloodshed in Darfur. Silence kills, Sarkozy told ministers from some 20 nations taking part in a one-day meeting in Paris on efforts to ending four years of fighting in Darfur. Now we know that the absence of a decision and the absence of a response is unacceptable. Sudan must know that if it cooperates, we will help it greatly and that if it refuses, we will be firm. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the international community had failed to do enough to end the violence that has left at least 200,000 dead and driven more than two million from their homes, according to UN figures.I do not think that the international community has really lived up to its responsibilities here, said Rice on Sunday. Rice joined representatives from China, Sudans top oil customer and arms supplier, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and officials from some 15 other nations including Egypt, Japan and Russia. Neither Sudan nor the rebels were represented at the conference, held after President Omar al-Beshir bowed to months of pressure and agreed to a new peace force for Darfur under the United Nations and the African Union. The African Union, which has brokered peace talks between Khartoum and Darfur rebels, is also not taking part in the meeting that it sees as duplicating its own efforts. Chinas envoy for Sudan said threats and pressure on Khartoum would be counterproductive and argued that world must instead focus on reconstruction aid to alleviate poverty. Posted by: Fred 2007-06-26 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=191707 |