Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-11-21-Speech-4-196"
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"en.20021121.9.4-196"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, in this afternoon's topical and urgent debate we must also turn our attention to the war in Sudan, one of the largest and most populous countries in Africa. Civil war has been raging there for 19 years. More than two million people have lost their lives because of this war. It has brought immense suffering for the people in the south of Sudan who are fighting for cultural, political and economic independence.
In the larger part of Sudan that is under government control there is no freedom of thought or religion and no possibility of peaceful assembly. Human rights continue to be treated with contempt. Government forces are blanket-bombing regions in the south with heavy civilian casualties. More than 200 death sentences have been passed by unconstitutional emergency courts in Darfur State. The oil discoveries in Sudan have not yet led to a return to peace. On the contrary, they serve to replenish the war chest of the Khartoum government.
There is a ray of hope: the peace talks in Machakos in Kenya, which have led to the conclusion of a ceasefire agreement. This has been drafted, but is not yet in force. First, unimpeded access must be provided for aid consignments for the people starving in the south of Sudan.
This must also lead to a permanent ceasefire on both sides, which is respected by everyone. While the situation remains critical and the peace process has not yet made sufficient progress, there is no prospect of holding the sixth meeting of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Sudan in spring 2003. In any case, we will not go there while the current situation persists. We do hope, however, that this will be possible at a later stage.
I should like to stress that Sudan's Ambassador here is doing a great deal through diplomatic channels to hasten a return to peace. We therefore call on the African countries to organise the next ACP-EU Assembly in another, more peaceful country in Africa. Mauritania, which wishes to take on this task, should be specifically encouraged to do so."@en1
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