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Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, no doubt there are some members of the Security Council who will feel that that is the case. However, that does not stop us pressing the issue. As we all acknowledge, the United Nations is where we try to solve these issues, but not exclusively. If the noble Lord will give me a moment or two, I shall try to deal with some of the other areas where we can try to improve the situation. One of those is in relation to the African Union ceasefire commission, which reports that the rebels also continue to violate the ceasefire—a point that the noble Lord, Lord Astor of Hever, was anxious that I cover in dealing with the position of the rebels.
When the Secretary-General makes his monthly report to the Security Council this Friday, he will focus not only on progress made by the Government of Sudan, but on whether the rebel groups have been fulfilling their commitments—an important point that the noble Lord, Lord Astor of Hever, raised. We must leave the rebel groups in no doubt that the international community will take action against them should they not honour their promises. This is the message that my honourable friend the Minister for Africa, Mr Mullin, gave to the leadership of the main Darfur rebel group, the SLM, when they visited London three weeks ago.
The noble Lord, Lord Elton, asked about the attitudes of other powers. Like the noble Lords, Lord Elton and Lord Avebury, I hope that the African Union's decision to expand its monitoring mission in Darfur is one that we can all acknowledge is a real movement in the right direction. I say in answer to the specific points made by the noble Lords, Lord Elton and Lord Avebury, that over the coming weeks the African Union will increase the number of its troops in Darfur from less than 500 to more than 3,000. The first
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troops from Nigeria and Rwanda have already arrived. During his visit to Sudan the Prime Minister announced that the United Kingdom would be contributing a further £12 million, in addition to the £2 million we provided in May, to assist the AU in expanding its mission.
I assure the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, that we are considering what logistical and technical support we can provide to the AU. We currently have a military planner working with the AU in Addis Ababa, and we have been instrumental in securing 80 million euros in funding from the European Union.
In answer to the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Astor of Hever, the African Union will have a vital role to play in improving security in Darfur. Its increased numbers will allow it to monitor the situation on the ground more proactively. A more visible AU presence should help to rebuild the confidence of the people of Darfur.
All those who have spoken this evening have raised the vital issues of human rights and genocide. The noble Lord, Lord Roberts of Llandudno, spoke on human rights with huge conviction. Of course, the Government are gravely concerned by the terrible violations and crimes against humanity that have taken place in Darfur. My right honourable friend the Prime Minister made clear to the Government of Sudan that there can be no impunity for such crimes.
We strongly welcomed, and indeed pressed for, the establishment of the International Commission of Inquiry. In answer to the noble Lord, Lord Elton, the commission will investigate violations of human rights in Darfur and determine whether those crimes amount to genocide. It will also determine who should be held accountable. In answer to a specific question of the noble Lord, Lord Astor of Hever, we expect the commission to report back in three months.
However, the Government are taking action now to address the human rights situation. We have made it clear to all sides that those violations must stop. We funded the original eight human rights monitors from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which has just increased the number of its monitors in Darfur to 16. And a number of UN protection-oriented agencies have, with UK funding, begun programmes to train the Government of Sudan police and their armed forces in human rights law. Those agencies are addressing the issues in all three Darfur states.
My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary was also able to secure visas to Darfur for human rights agencies Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Amnesty International, which before my right honourable friend's intervention had been denied access to Darfur, reported that it was allowed to carry out its investigations without hindrance. That is very welcome news. I can tell the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Salisbury that our embassy in Khartoum is in close touch with the Churches and takes up the concerns that are brought to its attention.
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The persecution against Christians as a religious group is somewhat less clear. Southerners of all religions suffer from mistreatment, as the right reverend Prelate acknowledged, but in other areas, many thousands of Christians worship freely.
As a number of your Lordships have suggested, it is clear that the only way in which to resolve the problems in Darfur, as in the rest of Sudan, is through a political process. That is why we have placed such great emphasis over the past few years on the peace talks between the Sudanese Government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement—the SPLM—in Kenya, and more recently, on the AU-led Darfur peace talks taking place in Abuja.
The United Kingdom's special representative—now Alastair McPhail—continues to attend the talks in Kenya, and we have sent an observer to the peace talks in Abuja, where he is playing an active role in pressing for peace.
In Abuja, we are pressing the Government of Sudan and the rebel groups to sign the humanitarian protocol, which they agreed at the last round of talks. Both the Sudanese Government and the Sudan Liberation Movement—SLM—have given their commitment to do so and to implement the protocol immediately. We are also pressing both sides to negotiate in good faith on the remaining security issues.
In Kenya, first Vice-President Taha and the SPLM leader, John Garang, made good progress on the comprehensive peace agreement. The parties will return later this month to resolve the remaining issues. Both sides have told us that they are keen to sign a comprehensive peace agreement before the end of the year. We believe that that is possible. That comprehensive peace agreement could provide the framework for a comprehensive peace in the whole of Sudan, including Darfur.
The noble Baroness, Lady Cox, referred to a possible role in the peace process for the International Islamic-Christian Organisation for Reconciliation and Reconstruction. I know that the noble Baroness has met my right honourable friend the Minister for Africa to discuss that point. I assure her that the joint DfID and FCO Sudan unit will carefully consider the proposal put to it.
I strongly agree with the right reverend Prelate about the importance of international pressure in the conflict. The UN will shortly publish its 2005 Sudan appeal. The international community will need to increase its contributions throughout 2005 so that agencies working in Darfur and throughout Sudan can continue to bring food and medicine to those who desperately need it. Your Lordships will know that the Prime Minister recently announced that the United Kingdom would contribute £100 million to Sudan—I emphasise that for the noble Lord, Lord Roberts—for humanitarian and development assistance next year, subject to the signature of the comprehensive peace agreement.
The Prime Minister's visit demonstrates the importance that the Government attach to a successful resolution of Sudan's crisis. That pressure on the
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Government of Sudan has led to some positive steps forward. There is also greater co-operation with the international community. As I said, the rebels must adhere to the ceasefire and show commitment to negotiating a political solution. We shall maintain the pressure on both sides. The expansion of the humanitarian effort is achieving some results. The numbers of people receiving food aid grew from 940,000 in August to 1.4 million in September, but there is much more to do to safeguard the victims and prepare the way for them to return home in safety. The expanded African Union force offers hope for the future, and we will ensure that the international community reinforces its efforts to solve the crisis.
Sudan now has an opportunity to bring about an end to the fighting which has ravaged the country and its people for so long—too long. But as I have said before in this House, implementing the peace agreement will be harder than negotiating it. It is vital that the international community helps Sudan through the difficult but essential period of transition it faces. As our involvement in the peace process and the generous humanitarian and development aid shows, the Government are committed to doing that and to helping to create a peaceful and prosperous Sudan, where the needs of all its peoples are considered. For Sudan, and Africa as a whole, the price of failure and the rewards for success are very great.
Baroness Crawley: My Lords, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn during pleasure until 8.30 p.m.
Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to.
[The Sitting was suspended from 8.27 to 8.31 p.m.]
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