US embassy cable - 04BRUSSELS4016

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 004016 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF, PRM/AFR, EUR/ERA; DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS 
USAID FOR AFR, DCHA AND PPC; NAIROBI FOR REED 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PREF, PHUM, EAID, EUN, USEU BRUSSELS 
SUBJECT: EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: DARFUR "TANTAMOUNT TO 
GENOCIDE" 
 
REF: (A) BRUSSELS 3897 (B) BRUSSELS 3989 
 
1. (U) Summary.  In a resolution dated September 16, the 
European Parliament (EP) endorsed the U.S. view that events 
currently happening in Darfur are "tantamount to genocide." 
A multi-party fact-finding mission undertaken September 2 - 7 
provided the impetus for the strong statement.  The Dutch 
Presidency, in addressing the EP, also had tough words for 
the Sudanese Government -- including the threat of sanctions 
-- but shied away from the genocide label.  Both Presidency 
and Parliament urged increased and expedited spending to 
alleviate human suffering in the region.  End Summary. 
 
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Parliament:  Clear on Genocide 
------------------------ 
 
2. (U) On September 16, the European Parliament adopted a 
strong resolution which condemns the Government of Sudan for 
its deliberate support in Darfur of the targeting of 
civilians in both villages of origin and centers for 
displaced people.  The EP urged Sudanese authorities "to end 
impunity and to bring to justice immediately the planners and 
perpetrators of crimes against humanity, war crimes and human 
rights violations, which can be construed as tantamount to 
genocide."  The resolution also called for the UNSC to 
consider a global arms embargo and other targeted sanctions 
-- and possibly the use of the International Criminal Court 
-- against perpetrators. 
 
3. (U) The tone for the parliamentary debate was set by 
fifteen minutes of dramatic images, as well as personal 
accounts from several Members of the European Parliament 
(MEP) who visited Sudan and Chad at the beginning of 
September.  The group of MEPs was led by the chairwoman of 
the Development Committee, Luisa Morgantini (Italian 
Communist), who spoke with alarm about spectacle of extreme 
suffering in the camps for displaced people.  UK Socialist 
Glenys Kinnock said, "What we saw convinced us that we were 
witnessing a genocide."  Czech Conservative MEP noted, "The 
Sudanese Government is not disposed to do any more than the 
international community forces it to do."  The EP is the 
first Parliament in the EU to agree with the U.S. that acts 
of genocide are taking place in Darfur.  Parliamentarians 
voted overwhelmingly in favor of the resolution 566 to 6 (and 
16 abstentions). 
 
4. (U) The wording of the resolution and the MEP statements 
stand in contrast to the more cautious approach taken in the 
Council Conclusions adopted September 13 (reftel a).  The 
Council conclusions "welcome steps by the UNSG to establish 
as soon as possible an international commission of inquiry in 
order to immediately investigate all violations of human 
rights and humanitarian law in Darfur, and to determine 
whether acts of genocide have occurred." 
 
5.  (U) The EP resolution (full text emailed to the 
Department) also states: 
-- Darfur has suffered from persistent underdevelopment and 
economic and political marginalization; 
-- fighting, including attacks on civilians and 
indiscriminate bombing, has resulted in at least 30,000 
killings; 
-- the Government of Eritrea is arming and training the SLA 
and JEM; 
-- after the ceasefire was signed on April 8, the GoS 
continued to support militias which kill civilians, use 
sexual violence against women, loot and harass, and that it 
has breached the ceasefire by using rocket helicopters and 
fighter jets; 
-- all the refugees the delegation met in Chad were from 
non-Arab tribes who mistrust the Sudanese authorities and are 
afraid to return as long as their security is not guaranteed; 
-- the establishment of "safe areas" is questionable; 
-- the substantial number of additional ceasefire observers 
(not protection forces) are needed, as well as human rights 
monitors; 
-- Article 48 of Sudan's criminal law should be repealed to 
ensure that women who have been raped are able to receive 
treatment before or upon reporting the incident and that 
police should be training in sexual and gender-based violence 
issues; and, 
-- the agreement between UNHCR and the Government of Chad to 
deploy policemen around the refugee camps to ensure their 
security is a positive step. 
 
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Dutch Presidency: International Cooperation, Assistance 
Needed 
------------------------ 
 
6. (U) In his speech to the EP on September 14, Council 
President Bernard Bot referred to the Sudanese Government's 
inability, or possibly unwillingness, to stop the violence in 
Darfur.  Like the EP resolution, Bot highlighted the active 
role of the African Union in the Sudan crisis while 
mentioning the need to cooperate closely with other 
international players such as the UN, the U.S. and the Arab 
League. 
 
7. (U) He outlined the following components of the Dutch 
Presidency's plan of action for Sudan: 
 
-- Support the mission of the UN SRSG Pronk:  The EU supports 
the Action Plan, but sees resolution 1556 as the main 
framework to maintain pressure on the GoS.  Bot said that 
there is recent evidence of continued killings of villages in 
Darfur by armed forces.  He called for a new, strong UNSC 
resolution and said that "the threat of sanctions is the best 
means of pressure," noting that the U.S. and EU are in 
agreement on this issue. 
-- Pressure the GoS and SPLM to conclude the Naivasha peace 
process and to conclude the Abuja peace process with the SLM 
and JEM: Bot highlighted the benefits that peace in Sudan 
could bring not only to Sudanese, but to the region and other 
parts of Africa. 
-- Enhance Humanitarian Assistance:  While highlighting 
improvements in terms of access, Bot said that the 
humanitarian situation is still critical.  The lack of 
security is the biggest threat to the people of Darfur.  He 
said that while the EU has pledged a total of 287.8 million 
euros (of which 107 million come from the EC and the balance 
from Member States), 50 percent of the UN appeal for Darfur 
remains unmet. At the EP hearing, Development and 
Humanitarian Commissioner Poul Nielson called on Member 
States to increase their funding for humanitarian relief 
efforts; the EC has contributed 47% of the EU total (whereas 
their target for any crisis is 20% of the total).  The EP 
resolution also stressed the need for rapid disbursement of 
these funds. 
 
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Comment 
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8. (SBU) As one European Commission official who participated 
in the EP fact-finding mission put it -- the value-added of 
the MEPs is that they can say what many others are thinking, 
but cannot express publicly.  From the overwhelming support 
the EP resolution received from MEPs, the Darfur issue 
reaches across the political and public spectrum in Europe as 
much as it does in the U.S.  From a transatlantic point of 
view, Darfur also provides an excellent example of 
cooperation and common thinking (reftel b). 
 
MINIMIZE CONSIDERED 
 
SCHNABEL