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World failing Darfur, says Rice France seeks 'firm' Darfur action
(about 3 hours later)
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said the world has failed the people of Darfur, ahead of talks in Paris on the troubled Sudanese region. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called on the world to be "firm" with Sudan if it refuses to co-operate with efforts to end the conflict in Darfur.
"I do not think that the international community has really lived up to its responsibilities here," Ms Rice said. He said "silence was killing" in the troubled region, as he opened talks in Paris between the world's major powers.
Some 200,000 people have died and 2.4m fled the violence in Darfur since 2003.Some 200,000 people have died and 2.4m fled the violence in Darfur since 2003.
Representatives from the US, France, China and Egypt will be at the conference, but not from Sudan nor the rebel factions. Officials from the US, Europe, China and the Arab League are among those at the conference, but Sudan and the rebel factions are not represented there.
Much of the violence has been linked to clashes between pro-government Janjaweed militias and Darfur's rebel groups. The Sudanese government was not invited, while the African Union is boycotting the conference because it regards the French initiative as a distraction from its own mediation efforts.
'Unacceptable'
Speaking before the start of the conference, Mr Sarkozy called for the swift deployment of thousands of UN peacekeepers to support the current small African Union force presently operating in Darfur.
We must be firm toward belligerents who refuse to join the negotiating table Nicolas Sarkozy
He also pledged an additional 10m euros ($13.4m) to the AU force.
"The lack of decision and the lack of action are unacceptable."
While Mr Sarkozy praised the Sudanese government for agreeing to the formation of a joint UN-AU peacekeeping force, he insisted it had to make more of an effort to bring peace to Darfur.
"We must be firm toward belligerents who refuse to join the negotiating table," he said.
MassacresMassacres
Having described the killing in Darfur as genocide, the Bush administration wants to be seen taking a lead in solving the crisis in Monday's summit, says the BBC's Jonathan Beale in Washington. On Sunday, the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, said the world had failed the people of Darfur.
If in fact the Sudanese are prepared to accept the hybrid force, they need to accept it once and for all US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice He says the US government is still worried the Sudanese leadership will not honour an earlier promise to allow 19,000 United Nations troops to join a group of 7,000 African Union (AU) soldiers trying to keep the peace in Darfur. "I do not think that the international community has really lived up to its responsibilities here," she told a news conference with the new French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner.
Our correspondent says in contrast, China, a close ally of Khartoum, sees the conference as an opportunity to turn attention on those rebel groups that have not signed up to a peace agreement. If in fact the Sudanese are prepared to accept the hybrid force, they need to accept it once and for all US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Ms Rice will be joined at the summit by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner - a recent appointee by new President Nicolas Sarkozy. The two foreign ministers said there was a need for decisive action.
For the last four years Gallic interest in Darfur has largely been limited to watching from an air base in neighbouring Chad, says the BBC's Jonah Fisher in Paris. "If in fact the Sudanese are prepared to accept the hybrid force, they need to accept it once and for all and stop the process of trying to scale it back," Ms Rice said.
But with a new leader and Socialist foreign minister, there has come a new commitment to get involved, he says.
At a joint news conference on Sunday, Ms Rice and Mr Kouchner said there was a need for decisive action.
"If in fact the Sudanese are prepared to accept the hybrid force, they need to accept it once and for all and stop the process of trying to scale it back," Ms Rice was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as saying.
Mr Kouchner said there was still time to end the killing.Mr Kouchner said there was still time to end the killing.
"I know that it has been going on for years. So what? Is that a reason to not be interested and let the massacres go on forever? Even if the massacres were bigger, they must be stopped," Reuters news agency quoted Mr Kouchner as saying. "I know that it has been going on for years. So what? Is that a reason to not be interested and let the massacres go on forever? Even if the massacres were bigger, they must be stopped," Mr Kouchner added.
However, our correspondent in Paris says France's sudden enthusiasm has not been well received by everyone - Sudan was not invited and AU peacekeepers have refused to attend.
Sudan's government denies backing the Arab Janjaweed militias accused of the worst atrocities against Darfur's black African population.Sudan's government denies backing the Arab Janjaweed militias accused of the worst atrocities against Darfur's black African population.
Khartoum says the scale of the problems has been exaggerated for political reasons.Khartoum says the scale of the problems has been exaggerated for political reasons.