Darfur: "The Violence Must End"

DW-WORLD.DE: You called for a clear signal at the donor conference for Darfur held in Brussels this week. What should it look like?

First of all, there needs to be a clear signal demanding an end to the violence. Since 2003, a civil war has been raging there. The Janjaweed militia, armed by the Khartoum government, continues to terrorize the population with violence, displacing them. Mass rapes are on the daily agenda.

In the meantime, 2 million people live in refugee camps. Almost 300,000 have died. Some people even talk of genocide. The international community is responsible here to send clear signals to both sides that the violence must end.

How can the international community pressure the Sudanese government to accept a UN mission?

So far, an African Union force has tried to protect the population. Unfortunately, they don't have the ability to do so. So it's been decided that the United Nations should take over here by the end of the year at the latest. But the Sudanese government won't agree to such a UN mission in Darfur. We need this mission, though, and with a strong mandate, which is truly in a position to protect the population.

I expect the German government and the international community to exert pressure on the Sudanese government to agree to such a UN mission. If that isn't enough, then individual-related sanctions should be implemented, for example against the president or certain members of the government. This is possible according to UN resolutions. But it isn't practiced, unfortunately, also not by the Europeans. These would be instruments which could force the Khartoum government to consent and then quickly bring a UN mission into the country.

Why is it so difficult for the international community to officially call the crimes in Darfur genocide?

Last year, there was a United Nations fact-finding committee. It spoke of serious crimes against humanity, but said it could not determine genocide. It couldn't prove this of the Khartoum government. I have been in the region several times. It is very clear to me that this is also about ethnic displacement and on a large scale, in which the Janjaweed militia is armed by the government and receives support, for example through bombings and military flights. So this is clearly a case of the most serious crimes against humanity. I would even speak of a sneaking genocide.

In my opinion, the international community is obligated and responsible. Kofi Annan has repeatedly pointed this out. For me, this is a very important conflict. There can't be a second Rwanda. I am concerned that just because this isn't about Europe or the Middle East, but Africa, that one looks away or is of the opinion that the Africans should solve this themselves. But they are not in a position to do so, as you can see from the African Union mission. We also have the responsibility to protect people in Africa.