Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Tá mé sásta m'ainm féin agus ainm mo pháirtí a chur leis an rún seo, rún ó chuile pháirtí sa Teach. Tá sé tábhachtach anois agus arís go labhraíonn gach duine sa Teach seo le guth amháin, go háirithe ar cheisteanna a n-aontaímid leo, ceisteanna idirnáisiúnta. Is féidir linn seo a dhéanamh amach anseo arís ar cheisteanna móra eile faoi áiteanna ina bhfuil slad agus ár á ndéanamh thar lear.

Dhá bhliain ó shin, ag Ard-Fheis an pháirtí, rinne an ballraíocht trí rún a rith i dtaca le Darfur. Ag an am sin, ghlaoigh muid ar an Rialtas anseo agus Rialtas na Breataine gníomhú go práinneach ar mhaithe le muintir an réigiúin a bhí ag fulaingt cogaíochta agus an foréigean a tháinig as. Luíonn an rún anseo inniu leis an méid sna rúin sin ach amháin go bhfuil sé dhá bhliain níos déanaí.

Is coimhlint dhearmadta í an choimhlint seo i nDarfur, le fócas na meán agus an fócas polaitiúil dírithe ar an chogadh san Iaráic agus san Afganastáin. Cuireadh an slad i nDarfur i leataobh in a lán aigní. Tá, áfach, ár ollmhór á dhéanamh sa tSúdáin, le breis is 30,000 duine marbh, os cionn 1 milliún brúite óna dtailte agus breis is 200,000 teifigh lonnaithe sa tír chomharsanach, an Sead. De thairbhe ionsaithe ar oibrithe a bhí ag tabhairt cúnaimh daonna sa tír, tharraing siad siar as an tír agus, dá réir, tá curtha leis fulaingt an phobail.

The report of the United Nations Secretary General to the United Nations Security Council on children and armed conflict in Sudan that covers the period from May to July 2006, details incidents of grave abuse of children's rights. It outlines "the killing and maiming of children and, their recruitment and use as soldiers, grave sexual violence, abductions and denial of humanitarian access to children". That recent report "indicates that these violations continue in the Sudan largely unabated". A number of parties to the conflict in Darfur are explicitly identified as committing these abuses and these include the Sudanese armed forces, the popular defence forces, the Sudan Liberation Army, the Janjaweed militia and the Chadian opposition forces. All members of the international community must make every appropriate effort possible to protect all vulnerable children in areas of conflict such as this and to bring an end to these grave abuses.

The Darfur Peace Agreement outlaws the recruitment and use of children by rebel forces, however that agreement has had little effect because many of the rebel groups are not signed up to it. The motion before us recognises this shortcoming and welcomes efforts to bring the non-signatories on board. The importance of these efforts must not be underestimated. We must also be careful not to focus on the atrocities of the Sudanese Government to the exclusion of those of the rebel forces. There is a concern that the rebels have been emboldened by the relative lack of scrutiny to commit further and graver atrocities, and to hold out for an agreement that better favours them.

While backing today's motion which condemns the appalling security, humanitarian and human rights situation, calls for all parties involved to immediately halt the violence and to ensure the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid and calls on the Sudanese Government to consent to a UN mission, I also want to commend the work that has taken place thus far, particularly that of the African Union. It is essential that this work is continued, built upon and bolstered by the UN.

Ultimately while much of the focus of the motion is on security and this is crucial, particularly in the immediate term, there is also a real need for the international community to focus on assisting the political resolution of the conflict. This is crucial if a sustainable peace is to be built. Every appropriate effort should be made to realise the power-sharing provisions of the Darfur Peace Agreement in a meaningful way.

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