Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Paris(Agenzia Fides)- A ministerial meeting in Parish of the enlarged contact group on Darfur in order to increase international mobilisation around the efforts of the African Union, European Union and the UN in Darfur and the region, ended with a resolution to 'support' efforts by the United Nations and the African Union to solve the conflict which in four years has left 200,000 dead and two million displaced persons. “We see a small light at the end of the tunnel”, said French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner, who added that France would work to intensify efforts by the international community now that the government of Sudan has accepted a UN-AU peacekeeping force in the region of Darfur.
In a message to the Meeting French president Nicolas Sarkozy said “silence kills”. “The absence of an answer and a decision is unacceptable. We want to mobilise the international community to say 'enough'. We do not live in the 21st century to just stand and watch".
Sudan said it was against the Meeting in Paris. Khartoum, according to the foreign ministry spokesman, expressed some “reserve” for the French initiative saying that initiatives outside the United Nations could “harm efforts for peace”. Sudan's foreign minister recalled a plan put forward by UN envoy for Darfur, Jan Eliasson, and the AU envoy Salim Ahmed Salim, to co-ordinate initiatives for peace in one strategy. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 26/6/2007 righe 24 parole 285)
