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EU Threatens Sanctions against Sudan


Guest Lottie

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VALKENBURG, Netherlands

European Union foreign ministers reaffirmed Saturday that they would push for UN sanctions against Sudan, including a possible oil boycott, if the country does not move to end the fighting in its western Darfur region.

"We will continue to exert pressure on the Sudanese government to comply ... we certainly do not exclude sanctions," said Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot, whose country holds the EU presidency.

Punitive measures could include an embargo on Sudanese oil and cutting off EU financial aid to the impoverished country, Bot told reporters after the EU ministers held talks about the conflict in Darfur.

"The situation ... remains worrying," Bot said.

Arab militias called Janjaweed are blamed for violence in the region that has killed some 30,000 people and forced over 1.2 million to flee their homes, creating what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The Sudanese government denies accusations it backs the Janjaweed to put down black African rebel groups that have been fighting government forces since 2003.

The EU has called on Khartoum to stop the fighting and comply with United Nations demands to enter into peace talks with the rebels. The 25-nation bloc has already suspended some 60 million (US$72 million) in development aid to Sudan.

EU Development Commissioner Poul Nielson said some 500 aid workers were now dealing with the hundreds of thousands of refugees on Darfur's borders with neighboring Chad. He said such a crisis would normally see some 2,000 aid workers deployed.

"There is still a real problem," Nielson said, but added that the aid situation was starting to improve.

The EU ministers were discussing Darfur with their 15 counterparts from ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States.

African Union Commission President Alpha Oumar Konare, whose 53-nation organization already has monitors and peacekeepers in Darfur, was also attending.

The EU has said it would back any African moves to take the lead in solving the Darfur crisis, and was considering options, including backing a beefed-up African police and peacekeeping mission there.

"The African Union must take ownership of this crisis," said Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

The AU currently has about 80 military observers in Darfur, protected by just over 300 soldiers, monitoring a rarely observed cease-fire signed in April.

In a report now being discussed at the UN Security Council, UN envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk, called for an expanded mandate for the monitoring force in Darfur. Pronk did not specify how large the force should be, but a UN plan presented to the AU called for about 3,000 peacekeepers.

Pronk also concluded the time for sanctions "had not yet arrived and that we should give the government a few more weeks."

The United States however reacted angrily to that recommendation and said there was evidence Sudan's government was backing Arab militias in Darfur.

On July 30, the UN Security Council gave Sudan 30 days to improve humanitarian access and rein in the Janjaweed, or face punitive economic and diplomatic measures.

EU officials said the 25-nation bloc would probably help fund an expanded mission, adding however, that it was too early to say whether the EU would itself send observers or peacekeepers to Darfur.

The EU has sent 285 million in humanitarian aid to Darfur since the crisis started, Nielson said. It has also already given 12 million (US$14.5 million) to help fund the AU mission.

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Here's Sky's version

EU'S NEW SANCTIONS THREAT

The European Union has renewed a threat to slap sanctions on the Sudanese government if it does not do more to rein in militias in the western Darfur region.

Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot has welcomed the fact that some progress has been made on improving the humanitarian situation.

But he has insisted that security remains a problem.

"Whereas we note some progress in the humanitarian field we are still particularly worried at the security situation caused by lack

of progress in disarming and controlling the Janjaweed pro-government militias," he said.

Speaking after EU foreign ministers discussed the Darfur crisis he said the 25-member bloc will "continue to exert pressure on the Sudanese government to comply with" UN demands.

A UN deadline for Khartoum to disarm its proxy militia in Darfur, the Janjaweed, passed last week.

"It is necessary to make it quite clear that we may be forced to impose sanctions at some point in the future," said Bot.

He added that an oil boycott "may be one of the measures," but stressed that the ministers had not discussed details of exactly what sanctions could be imposed.

According to UN estimates, up to 50,000 people have died in Darfur, and about 1.4 million people have fled their homes with about 180,000 crossing the border into Chad.

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-13213484,00.html

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Well at least its more than the US seems to be doing

I'm not necessarily attacking the EU...

I wish anyone would take more action.

But you know that if the US did use military action, everyone would be moaning about horrible imperialistic America.

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I its people on this site, i think most seem to be in agreement if a country needs invading, its Sudan. As for governments, they'd probably be okay with it since it is humanitrarian, just with the current pascifist publics they dont want to do it themselves.

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I wasn't referring to anyone specifically...

Just... that a lot of people these days seem to think that there is never a reason to use force.

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If you mean Iraq, I think thats a slightly different issue, but if you mean in gernal, yeah, pascifism is getting out of hand.

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Sanctions achieve nothing, they will jus increase the sufferning of the people of Sudan. This is a country that does need its government toppled by military forces form around the world. African nations get neglected something shocking, when they need so much assictance and aid, lets hope the world leaders agree on a course of action and do something that will make a difference!

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United Nations.......hmmm.

What mandate does the UN carry, outside of sanctions. What would it take for the UN to exercise military might in a country? How many deaths are needed to justify something more than sanctions? Is there a chart?

Stern Warning - 15,000 deaths.

Sanctions - 50,000 deaths.

||||||

||||||

||||||

Military Action - 1,000,000 deaths.

huh.gif

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Sanctions achieve nothing, they will jus increase the sufferning of the people of Sudan. This is a country that does need its government toppled by military forces form around the world. African nations get neglected something shocking, when they need so much assictance and aid, lets hope the world leaders agree on a course of action and do something that will make a difference!

255502[/snapback]

AztecInca pretty much made my post for me.

laugh.gif

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United Nations.......hmmm.

What mandate does the UN carry, outside of sanctions.  What would it take for the UN to exercise military might in a country?  How many deaths are needed to justify something more than sanctions?  Is there a chart? 

Stern Warning - 15,000 deaths.

Sanctions - 50,000 deaths.

||||||

||||||

||||||

Military Action - 1,000,000 deaths.

huh.gif

255653[/snapback]

actually, looking at the iraq its

Sanctions - 250000 direct result of regime, hundreds of thousands directly effected by sanctions

Military action - 10 000 or so, the majorty not a result of occupating forces

neat huh

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What mandate does the UN carry, outside of sanctions. What would it take for the UN to exercise military might in a country? How many deaths are needed to justify something more than sanctions? Is there a chart?

Stern Warning - 15,000 deaths.

Sanctions - 50,000 deaths.

||||||

||||||

||||||

Military Action - 1,000,000 deaths.

Sounds about right huh.gif

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cat.gif

If you mean Iraq, I think thats a slightly different issue, but if you mean in gernal, yeah, pascifism is getting out of hand.

255185[/snapback]

i hear the UN is looking for a few good fighting men !
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i hear the UN is looking for a few good fighting men !

The UN should have set a 48 hour deadline to give it time to delopy troops and then invaded the moment we hit day three.

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The UN should have set a 48 hour deadline to give it time to delopy troops and then invaded the moment we hit day three.

but what if they have to face actual combat?

its the US job to do the dying

Edited by bathory
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its the US job to do the dying

Really? huh.gif Okay then. tongue.gif Thanks very gracious of them. grin2.gif

But it doesn't work that way. tongue.gif

Edited by Talon S.
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I have to say from the point of view of a US citizen and former US soldier, I get really tired of everyone looking at the US to do they dying for everyone elses problems in the world...

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But it doesn't work that way.

yes it does, if the US doesn't take military action, the problem stagnates

After the US does the dirty work, the blue helmets arrive and all is right with the world:)

Yeah, huh.gif if Bathory's so gun-ho why doesn't he volunteer Austrialia to go in

huh? i was pretty much making the point Fluffy made....

Australia doesn't have the capacity to do anything, and the liberal douches would whine

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But it doesn't work that way.

yes it does, if the US doesn't take military action, the problem stagnates

After the US does the dirty work, the blue helmets arrive and all is right with the world:)

256451[/snapback]

thumbsup.gif

laugh.gif

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