Sudan (Darfur)

Tabled by Margrete Auken and Angelika Beer

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Darfur,

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

A. whereas, despite the signing of a Darfur peace agreement on 5 May 2006 between the Sudanese Government and the Sudan Liberation Movement, the largest of the three rebel groups, the situation in Darfur remains worrying, and the violence has not stopped and in some areas has even grown,

B. whereas the signing of the peace agreement between the Government of Sudan and one of the rebel groups has exacerbated inter-rebel violence and diminished chances for stability,

C. whereas the Government of Sudan's reluctance to implement the peace agreement, its refusal to renegotiate it in order to accommodate other rebel groups and its refusal to allow a UN mission to replace the African Union have compromised the peace process,

D. whereas the Ceasefire Commission, which is composed of representatives from the Sudanese Government and one rebel faction of the Sudan Liberation Army, has failed to disarm the militias known as the Janjaweed,

E. whereas the African Union peacekeeping mission has been extended until 31 December after an agreement reached with the Sudanese Government,

F. recalling that the UN Security Council passed a resolution and called for a 20 000-strong UN peacekeeping force in Darfur to replace the poorly funded African Union peacekeeping mission,

G. whereas increasing insecurity as a result of fighting, banditry and hijackings has prevented humanitarian aid agencies from distributing food to the population in need,

H. whereas, despite the presence of African Union forces in the region, civilians living in the displaced persons' camps continue to suffer regular attacks, including wilful killings, rape and torture, by the government-backed militias in Darfur and other armed groups,

I. recalling that the Darfur conflict erupted in 2003 when a rebel group took up arms against the government, and that the conflict has caused the killing of civilians, sexual violence against women, population displacement and looting,

J. recalling that the International Criminal court (ICC) opened an investigation into the crime in Darfur in June 2005,

1. Welcomes the African Union decision to extend its peacekeeping mission until 31 December with regional and UN support;

2. Calls upon the Government of Sudan to accept a UN peacekeeping force in Darfur to achieve a lasting peace;

3. Considers that peace in Darfur is unattainable unless every stakeholder commits itself to a peace deal, and therefore asks the Sudanese Government to reopen negotiations and reach a peace deal with all parties;

4. Calls on all parties to implement the Abuja agreement, which provides for the disarmament of the Darfur rebels as well as the Janjaweed militia, who are blamed for most of the atrocities against civilians in Darfur;

5. Calls the UN Security Council to consider a global arms embargo on Sudan and other targeted sanctions against those responsible for massive abuses of human rights and other atrocities, and to ensure that any such sanctions do not add to the suffering of the population of Sudan;

6. Urges the Sudanese authorities to end impunity and immediately to bring to justice the planners and perpetrators of human rights violations, including sexual violence;

7. Calls on all armed groups to respect human rights and international humanitarian law by refraining from any indiscriminate attacks on civilians, including sexual violence against women;

8. Considers that the root causes of the conflict in Darfur are underdevelopment, economic and political marginalisation of the population of the region, the absence of the rule of law and the undemocratic nature of the present regime;

9. Calls on all the parties involved in the conflict to refrain from recruiting and using child soldiers under the age of 18, and calls on the Sudanese authorities to protect displaced children, especially unaccompanied minors, as laid down in the relevant Conventions;

10.Instructs it President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Government of Sudan, the African Union and the UN Secretary-General.