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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| France seeks 'firm' Darfur action | France seeks 'firm' Darfur action |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| 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. | 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. |
| He said "silence was killing" in the troubled region, as he opened talks in Paris between the world's major powers. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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' | '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. | 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 | 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. | He also pledged an additional 10m euros ($13.4m) to the AU force. |
| "The lack of decision and the lack of action are unacceptable," he said. | "The lack of decision and the lack of action are unacceptable," he said. |
| 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. | 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. | "We must be firm toward belligerents who refuse to join the negotiating table," he said. |
| Massacres | Massacres |
| On Sunday, the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, said the world had failed the people of Darfur. | On Sunday, the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, said the world had failed the people of 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. | "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. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY The world is not failing Darfur, Africa is failing Darfur! It's about time that the African nations started taking a little responsibility for affairs on their own continent Mike Vickers, Cognac class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=6645&edition=2&ttl=20070625105523">Send us your comments | |
| The two foreign ministers said there was a need for decisive action. | The two foreign ministers 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 said. | "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. |
| 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," Mr Kouchner added. | "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. |
| 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. |