EU parliament president urges world not to forget Darfur

Parliament’s president Hans-Gert Pöttering has urged the international community not to forget the genocide in Darfur.

With the current spotlight firmly fixed on the situation in Zimbabwe, attention has shifted from the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

But the German centre-right MEP says it is worth remembering that the death count in Darfur is much higher than Zimbabwe, claiming 300,000 victims and 2.5 million refugees.

Speaking in parliament, he said, “Crimes of the magnitude of those that have been and continue to be committed in Darfur cannot be ignored.

“It appears that the state apparatus is mobilised to plan, commit and cover up crimes against civilians.”

He says, in particular, that the failure to punish Ahmad Harun, “a minister who commits crimes under the guise of humanitarian affairs”, demonstrates the involvement of high officials of the Sudanese government.

“We have not only a moral, but also a legal obligation to make everything in our power to help criminals being prosecuted and punished,” said Pöttering.

He was speaking at an event in parliament to honour Salih Mahmoud Osman, who was awarded the Sakharov Prize for his work with victims of the civil war in Darfur.

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