Resolution on Sudan
The European Parliament adopted a joint resolution by 65 votes in favour to none against on Sudan and stated that it was deeply saddened and shocked by the violent deaths and looting around the towns of Haskanita and Muhajiriya. Parliament strongly condemned the killing of 10 AU peacekeepers on 30 September 2007, when unidentified forces attacked an African Union (AU) base in Haskanita, South Darfur . It deplored the increasing insecurity in the region, as evidenced by these violent acts and as constantly reported from Darfur by international observers and NGOs, and demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities and attacks on AMIS, civilians and humanitarian agencies, their staff and assets and relief convoys. Parliament also recalled that the upsurge of violence in South Darfur in recent weeks has led to the killing of three World Food Programme (WFP) drivers and has prompted the medical aid group Médecins Sans Frontières to pull its staff out of the town of Muhajiriya, leaving many displaced people with no medical care.
It called on the Sudanese Government and the rebel groups to cooperate fully with an independent investigation into the dreadful attack in Haskanita and to bring all those responsible to justice. The fate of those peacekeepers still missing must be established, and Members demanded that the group responsible for the attack account for their whereabouts immediately. They deplored the fact that the attack was carried out at a time when the AU and the UN are exerting maximum effort to resume peace talks on Darfur in Libya on 27 October this year, and urged the deployment of the UNAMID force in Darfur to help put an end to the Darfur conflict.
Parliament stressed that customary laws of war prohibit directing attacks against personnel and objects involved in international peacekeeping missions, so long as they are not directly involved in hostilities.
It welcomed the acceptance by the Sudanese Government on 12 June 2007 of the UNAMID force. However, it recalled that the Sudanese Government has made previous unfulfilled commitments to allow the hybrid force into Sudan. The resolution called for rapid deployment of the UNAMID force with a mandate which enables it to efficiently protect civilians, and called on the UN to fulfil its commitment and provide the troops that have been promised. Parliament reminded the Sudanese Government that it bears the prime responsibility for internal security and that it should not abdicate this responsibility in favour of the international community.
EU Member States and the UN were asked to mobilise without further delay crucial political, financial, logistical, technical and other support, including specialised personnel for AMIS and UNAMID, for the timely completion of the takeover by the end of December 2007. The Sudanese Government was urged to accept support and troops from all nations and to do its utmost to facilitate the fulfilment of their mandates.
Parliament emphasised that the troops of all parties and their personnel, vehicles and assets must be clearly distinguishable from humanitarian aid workers in order to ensure their strict neutrality and avoid military attacks. It called on the Commission to keep Parliament informed about any progress made on the proper use of its financial aid to AMIS and in particular the payment of salaries and per diems of AMIS soldiers.
Lastly, it called on the EU, the UN and the AU to show a united front in efforts to resolve the conflict in Darfur and to prioritise a comprehensive peace process through a political dialogue with all parties concerned.