An interfaith coalition has asked Prime Minister Stephen Harper to continue applying diplomatic pressure on the Sudanese government to ease the tension in Darfur. Moderator Wilma Welsh joined the heads of major churches and faith groups in Canada to request the Canadian government “work with others in engaging all diplomatic means available to address the legitimate concerns of groups which either do not yet form part of the Darfur Peace Agreement or that have a direct stake in a resolution of the conflict including rebel groups, civil society organizations, and victims.”
The letter noted that the government in Khartoum has a long history of signing agreements and then reneging on its obligations. “Both parties to the Peace Agreement continue to violate the ceasefire while the security provisions in the agreement offer no credible guarantees or guarantors, placing much of the responsibility for security with the African Union’s mission in Sudan, a task for which it has insufficient resources.” The interfaith group asked the Canadian government to “be a fair share contributor to the necessary financial, material, human and logistical resources to fully support a guarantee of security in the region through a United Nations peacekeeping presence to enhance the African Union’s efforts.”
While asking Harper to continue diplomatic pressure to assure the agreement’s terms are held by all the signatories, the inter-faith group also urged that Canada “immediately increase contributions to humanitarian relief efforts such as those of the United Nations’ World Food Programme beyond the recently announced commitments.”
