Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-09-14-Speech-2-202"
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"en.20040914.11.2-202"2
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".
Mr President, the European Union and the Council of Ministers are deeply conscious of the worsening situation. We are following the situation very closely and I share your concerns. I have listened very carefully to the suggestions you have made and to your calls for action.
I also agree with those speakers who have stressed the fact that what we need is a political solution, not a military solution. Military force would only lead to further bloodshed and we want to avoid that. It is in that context that we believe that the African Union, which has taken the lead, should continue to be in the driver's seat. At the same time, however, we see how important it is that a cohesive and coherent effort be undertaken so that the African Union, together with the United Nations, the European Union and the United States, exert increasing pressure on the Sudanese Government as we have done from the beginning - notably as the Dutch Government, but also as the European Union over these past months.
We will also continue to push the African Union to implement the suggestions that have been made by the United Nations. I listed a number of possibilities: increase the number of observers, increase the military force supporting these observers, increase the civilian presence, send a police force even a European Union police force, if the African Union asks for one. It is very important that we cooperate very closely and that the African Union tries to find an African solution to an African problem. We must lend all the support we can muster.
I believe that we should follow a twin-track approach on the calls for action. On the one hand, I share the feelings of all those who have said that continued, strong diplomatic pressure on the government of Sudan is an absolute requirement. We have done this and will continue to do so in the context of the meetings we have. For example, next week we have a meeting the United Nations. I have also met with ministers: at the end of July I invited Minister Ismail to the Netherlands. There was a strong exchange of words on the situation. Promises were made, but as we have seen they were not kept. That is why there should also be another track, and that track, as many of you have said, consists of sanctions.
The European Union is currently examining all the possibilities for imposing sanctions very carefully, but we think that sanctions should be effective. They should really hit the government and they should also be all-encompassing, so, together with the Commission and the Council secretariat, we are drafting a comprehensive review of which sanctions are possible. Among those sanctions, we are considering an oil boycott, an arms embargo and many other possibilities to make it crystal clear to the Sudanese Government that we mean business.
On the other hand as Commissioner Nielson mentioned we should not forget that humanitarian aid is of the essence. If one talks to Mr Lubbers or Mr Pronk as I have recently it is very obvious that one aspect is the situation in respect of the Sudanese Government. The other aspect pertains to the humanitarian aid situation, which is terrible at the moment. There too, the European Union is doing everything it can.
As far as Mrs Bonino's suggestion on the International Criminal Court is concerned, you will understand that I wholeheartedly agree with this. The International Criminal Court with its seat in the Hague is something we endorse whenever we can. However, we should not forget that what we need first, in the United Nations, is to discuss the situation on the basis of Mr Pronk's report. Subsequently, the United Nations Security Council should make a request, and then we can act to initiate proceedings in the International Criminal Court.
I can only repeat that we are very concerned about the situation. We take everything you have said into account and take it very seriously. We are deeply aware of the suffering of the people there and of what has happened. Whether you call it genocide or not, the situation is very serious. We have to be willing to take action. In the meantime, we are waiting for the outcome of the discussions that are to take place shortly in the United Nations."@en1
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