Blair visits Sudan to continue UK’s Commission to End Violence in Darfur

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair is now in Sudan holding talks with the country’s President Omar Ahmed al-Bashir on how to end violence in the Darfur region which has cost at least 50,000 lives.

This is the second attempt from the UK Government to intervene in the peace dialogue, following the British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw’s visit to Darfur last August. Straw successfully negotiated for the access of the British human rights groups, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch into Darfur. However, the peace dialogue still ended up in a deadlock.

International Development Secretary, Hilary Benn is accompanying Prime Minister Blair on the trip. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, “The Prime Minister’s visit is part of the process of continuing to put pressure on the government of Sudan to do the things that they need to do to improve security.”

According to the major international aid agencies, there have been no improvements in Darfur, western Sudan, during the past 12 months.

Oxfam UK reported that nearly six months after the ceasefire, there are daily reports of violence and insecurity. More households have taken refuge in the camps set up by aid agencies. Women and young girls are increasingly being subjected to extreme forms of harassment and violence.

Oxfam UK lamented the fact that Britain, which has been the world’s second-largest humanitarian aid donor to Sudan, has been like other governments and failed in its attempts to end the atrocities in Darfur.

Oxfam UK welcomed Tony Blair’s visit as a sign of the British government’s commitment to ending the violence in Darfur, while Christian Aid also expressed their appreciation to his agenda.

“While this short trip alone will not directly save lives, the Prime Minister can help thousands by shifting British policy up a gear,” said an Oxfam UK representative.

Christian Aid has high expectation for Blair as well. Dan Silvey, Christian Aid’s head of Africa Policy said, “This is an opportunity which cannot be missed...Tony Blair has a unique chance to speak directly to the Sudanese president. Unless the government of Sudan gives a meaningful role to the African Union troops, there is little chance for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Darfur.”

Both Oxfam and Christian Aid back similar new measures to end the crisis. They both urged a fuller role for African Union peacekeepers. Oxfam stated that Tony Blair should do all he can to ensure thousands more African Union personnel are deployed to Darfur this month while Christian Aid is calling for all troops from African Union on the ground to have a mandate of “protection” to allow them to intervene militarily to end attacks against civilians.

On the first leg of a three-day trip to Africa in Khartoum, Blair is pushing for a planned expansion of the African Union’s peace-keeping force in Darfur to 3,500 troops. However, Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Sir Menzies Campbell commented that thousands more troops are needed to deal with the unfolding catastrophe.

In addition, Christian Aid requests Prime Minister Blair must press the Sudanese government to publicly state that it will not support the Janjaweed militias. The pro-government Janjaweed militia is believed to be the group behind the majority of the violence in Darfur even though the government has continued to deny this.

Both Oxfam and Christian Aid want to encourage the international community to work more closely with the African Union to provide a swift provision of any additional resources and personnel required.

“World leaders must not forget about Darfur as they have so often forgotten about other humanitarian crises once they are no longer making headlines,” said Barbara Stocking, Director of Oxfam.

“The conflict in Darfur must not be seen in isolation”, says Dan Silvey from Christian Aid. “Unless the UK and the rest of the international community treat a comprehensive settlement in Sudan as a matter of urgency, a return to peace remains a forlorn hope.”

“All parties must sit down in good faith to end this long-running conflict,” he added.

After the trip in Sudan, Blair will fly to Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to hold talks for the Africa Commission with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Mr Blair launched the commission in February 2004 to assess the African situation and to draw up future policies.

Blair's spokesperson concluded that the key of the upcoming commission session on Thursday, will be helping “Africa help itself” but it was emphasised that there were no “instant solutions”.