Kitt vows to keep pressure on Sudan

The Government pledged tonight to keep up the pressure on Sudanese authorities, vowing maximum support for refugees in the war-torn country.

Development Minister Tom Kitt met representatives from Irish humanitarian aid agencies to analyse how the Irish aid effort could be best maintained.

The humanitarian crisis in the east-African country has been deemed a political and security emergency with pro-Government Arab militias accused of slaughtering thousands in a brutal campaign to drive out black African farmers.

The discussion focused on three areas – security issues on the ground in Darfur, the delivery of aid and the disarming of the militia.

“This is the greatest humanitarian catastrophe in the world and we need to keep the momentum going,” Mr Kitt said.

“Progress is being made but there are key developments we need to focus on. Our approach is to keep up the pressure whilst supporting the African Union. It is vital to achieve an African-led solution to an African conflict.”

He described the process as a “political minefield” which had to be treated with great sensitivity, one wrong step risking huge disruption.

Mr Kitt, who visited Sudan himself last month, urged the UN Security Council members to stand firm on Darfur and to follow through on their promise to impose sanctions if the militias are not disarmed by the end of August.

Paul O’Brien, overseas director of aid agency Concern, said it was important to touch base with the Government so as to successfully co-ordinate aid efforts.

“The Minister holds diplomatic clout both in Ireland and within the EU and we are able to able to feed information to him which he can then taken to the Sudanese authorities to put pressure on them,” he said.

“We are asking him to keep up the pressure on the Sudanese Government and to provide protection to the Internally Displaced People.”

Concern is distributing food and sanitation in the southern Darfur region, where an estimated 1.2 million people have been made homeless by fighting and a wider campaign of looting, killing and rape by militias gangs.

Justin Kilcullen, director of aid agency Trocaire, said there was a very good working relationship between the NGOs and the Government.

“The Minister has listened very carefully about the security issues aid workers are dealing with on the ground,” he said.

“It is vital that Western countries support African Union initiatives. We must respect the African nature of this problem – the most effective pressure that can be put on will come from African countries.”

He said Irish people had responded generously to appeals for support while the Irish Government has so far allocated €6m in humanitarian assistance.

Up to 30,000 people have been killed in the conflict, many of them civilians and there are fears that at least 300,000 more could die from resulting hunger and disease.

It is believed necessary aid programmes are under-funded by up to €150m and every western European government has been called upon to increase their contributions.

Funding is being channelled to the International Federation of the Red Cross in India and Bangladesh, Concern in Bangladesh and Plan International in Nepal.