Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-01-19-Speech-4-240"
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"en.20060119.30.4-240"2
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".
Mr President, the subject of today’s debate on infringements of human rights and democracy are the tragic events in Cairo, where several hundred police officers attacked a significantly smaller group of Sudanese refugees, who had travelled to Egypt in search of help and shelter. The refugees were cornered and the Egyptian police then attacked them with water cannon and truncheons. Several of the refugees died and the fate of the rest of the group, which included women and children, is unfortunately unknown.
Egypt likes to call itself a democracy, yet by this act it has joined ranks with the many other observers of the conflict in the Sudan, not all of them passive. The fighting has gone on for over 20 years, and two million people have lost their lives. Six million were forced to leave their homes and thousands of women and children have been kidnapped or raped. The United Nations Organisation has done little to support Sudanese refugees. It has granted refugee status to only a few thousand, most of whom wished to emigrate to the United States, Canada or Europe.
In practice, Sudan has been in a state of war ever since it gained independence. The darker-skinned African population in the South of the country is protesting against discrimination by the Arab population that is now in power in Khartoum. Religion also plays a part in this internal conflict, because once in power the mostly Muslim Arabs have been treating the animist and Christian darker-skinned Africans like slaves. This is why so many attempt to flee to neighbouring countries such as Kenya, Egypt, Uganda or Ethiopia
We wish to register our outrage and protest against the treatment meted out by the Egyptian authorities to people seeking help. As we debate the issue in this House, we would be wise to consider not only the causes of the conflict but also the sources of the arms used in Sudan. The rich G8 countries promised to work towards an end to poverty and injustice. Nonetheless, these same countries are still exporting arms, ammunition and military equipment to poor countries involved in conflicts and helping to support repressive regimes. By so doing, the G8 countries are party to human rights violations and anti-democratic activities.
The conflict in Sudan is also indicative of a failure on the part of the international community. The latter has not demonstrated the will to limit or put an end to the series of aggressions and injustices perpetrated over many years. We support the resolution."@en1
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