Darfur (Sudan)

09 Jun 2004
Ms Diane Abbott: The whole House will want to congratulate the Secretary of State on the lead that he has taken in respect of a tragedy that has unfolded largely as the eyes of the world were on the middle east. The question of military intervention has been raised, and he is quoted in the newspapers today as ruling it out. Does he accept that many of us support him in ruling out military intervention at this point, and that we support the emphasis that he has correctly placed on the responsibility of the Sudanese Government, the role of the UN and the potential role of the African Union? I believe that, in the long run, the only sustainable solution to the problems of that continent lies in the hands of Africans themselves.

Hilary Benn: I can only agree with every single word that my hon. Friend has said. I agree in particular with her last point, which is why I am such a strong supporter of the African Union's initiative on peace and security, the development of its standby force, its current force in Burundi, and the regional initiative taken by the Economic Community of West African States, which first sent troops into Liberia when the fighting and carnage were going on Monrovia. That is exactly the direction in which we need to go, not least because in the past, when the world wanted something to be done, it has traditionally looked to a very small number of countries to do it. One reason why it has been difficult to respond is that that burden has fallen in particular on a small number of countries. Increasing the world community's capacity to take effective action is something that we should welcome, and that is exactly what the African Union is doing.

...

Ms Diane Abbott: I am glad to be able to take part in such an important debate. I congratulate the hon. Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan) on initiating it. 
 
There was a time, certainly within the lifetime of most of us in the Chamber, when many people of good will thought that the most serious problems facing Africa were caused by the activities of the west, with its western colonialism and western neo-imperialism. It is a tragedy that cannot be overstated that, long after the winds of political change swept across Africa, region after region became convulsed by intercommunal strife. One reason why the conscience of the world seems so hard to rouse on such occasions may be the spectacle of Africans killing Africans.

Today's debate is important not only because of the scale of the humanitarian tragedy that may yet engulf the region, which could be as big a tragedy as Rwanda, if not bigger, nor because not enough attention has been paid to the tragedy. It is important because the situation in Sudan raises many general issues about Africa and international affairs. For instance, it raises the question whether we need a more robust system of international law to encompass humanitarian intervention and a different mindset in the Security Council on international relations. I did not support the war in Iraq. Only with reluctance would I support western intervention in other parts of the world. But it is clear when we study Sudan and other issues that we need a more robust system of international law that would legitimise such interventions.

A further issue raised by the situation in Sudan is the rubble of the post-cold war world. Various factions in obscure parts of Africa were funded by different sides in the cold war. Once the cold war ended, we all congratulated ourselves on the collapse of the Berlin wall, but those armed and militarised factions continued to fight in Sudan and Somalia and across the region.

Another issue underlying the problems in Sudan is scarce resources. When examining the roots of intercommunal strife in Africa, one often finds that the situation is partly the result of the post-cold war situation but also partly the result of fighting for scarce resources.

Finally, having made so much in the international community of the need to intervene in Iraq for humanitarian reasons, will we stand by and allow another Rwanda in Sudan?

As has been said, from 1916 to 1956, Darfur was a backwater ruled by a handful of British officials, including the relatives of the hon. Member for Blaby. One root cause of the present crisis goes back to the 1980s, when prolonged droughts accelerated the desertification of northern and central Darfur and led to pressure on water and grazing resources as the camel nomads were forced to move southwards. Conflicts over wells and water that would in earlier times have been settled with spears or mediation are settled in the 21st century with guns. The situation was made much worse by the decision of Sadiq al-Mahdi, the Prime Minister in the mid-1980s, to give arms to the Arabic-speaking cattle nomads, leading to today's ethnic cleansing.

The ethnicisation of the conflict has grown rapidly since the military coup in 1989. Of course, one reason why the Khartoum Government are determined to retain control over the area is the possibility of an oil pipeline through Darfur. Once again, we come to one of the issues underlying intercommunal conflict all over the world. 
 
Kofi Annan has said that the international community is prepared to take action on the situation in Sudan, meaning the continuum of steps that might include military action. Obviously, any such action would have to take place under the aegis of the Security Council, but the Security Council has discussed the crisis twice and declined to condemn the Khartoum Government. More focus on the issue is needed at the very highest levels.

I congratulate Her Majesty's Government, who are one of the biggest donors to Sudan and who, as has been pointed out, are not looking at the question only now but have been addressing it for some time. However, underlying issues are involved. Even if we avert the yet greater humanitarian crisis that may engulf the area, we as a Parliament must address those issues. What is the proper framework for humanitarian intervention? To what extent should the west take responsibility for the shambles left behind after the end of the cold war? As colleagues have said, the only way to stave off recurrent flare-ups of violence over scarce resources is by injecting development aid and considering the whole economic infrastructure of countries.

No one who cares about Africa and what it means to people of African descent all over the world can fail to be moved by the situation in Sudan. Sadly, that situation is replicated across the continent. I hope that Security Council and the Government can take action that may yet avert the impending tragedy, but I also hope that the Government will continue to play a part in addressing the underlying causes of the economic and political underdevelopment of the African continent.



back ⇢