Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 2: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if Ireland proposes to take further initiatives at national or European level to address the tragic and deteriorating situation in Darfur which has led to loss of life, dispossession and violence against the person on a scale that constitutes genocide; if Ireland, as proposed to him at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, will organise and facilitate an international peace conference at Foreign Minister level of all parties in the region as a preparatory step for a meeting to agree an accord for peace at heads of state level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39723/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan continues to be a matter of the gravest concern for the Government. While there have been some limited signs of progress on the political front, the security and humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate.

On 16 November 2006 in Addis Ababa, the UN Secretary General and the chairperson of the Commission of the African Union co-chaired a meeting of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and of a number of African states, including Sudan. The EU was represented by its special representative for Sudan. The meeting considered three areas: the need to re-energise the peace process, the establishment of a strengthened ceasefire and the way forward for peacekeeping in Darfur.

It was agreed that the UN and the African Union should within 15 days organise a meeting between the signatories and the non-signatories of the May 2006 Darfur peace agreement, with a view to reaching agreement before the end of 2006 on the amendments to this peace agreement which would enable the non-signatories to adhere to it. Former OAU Secretary General, Dr. Salim Salim, who chaired the Abuja peace negotiations, will lead this process.

The meeting also called on all parties to the conflict in Darfur to commit immediately to a cessation of hostilities to facilitate the continuation of the political process. The Government of Sudan was strongly urged to work with the non-signatories of the Darfur peace agreement on ceasefire related issues. Due to the regional dimensions of the conflict, Chad and Sudan were urged to stop hostilities along their common border in Darfur and respect previous peace commitments.

Taking account of the UN Secretary General's proposals for a phased approach towards a strengthened peacekeeping operation in Darfur, the meeting agreed on the expansion of the UN's provision of personnel, aviation and logistical support to AMIS, the African Union's ceasefire monitoring mission in Darfur. More significantly, agreement in principle was reached on the deployment of a hybrid AU-UN force in Darfur, capable of contributing to the restoration of security, the protection of civilians, ensuring full humanitarian access and implementing the security aspects of the Darfur peace agreement. However, important issues remain to be resolved, including the size of the force and its command, control and reporting arrangements.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

I welcome these developments, especially the agreement in principle on a hybrid UN-AU force. However, early acceptance by Sudan on the outstanding issues is essential. Sudan is to give its considered response at the next meeting of the African Union's Peace and Security Council on 29 November.

The UN and the AU are currently trying to reactivate the Darfur political process and are, in my view, best placed to do so, as distinct from an individual country initiative, however well intentioned. Ireland strongly supports their efforts. In pursuit of this, and given Egypt's major regional role and its significant weight in both the African Union and the Arab League, I wrote to the Egyptian Minister for Foreign Affairs on 17 November to urge his Government to bring every possible influence to bear on the Sudanese President to deliver on the Addis Ababa agreement.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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I very much thank the Minister for his reply. I welcome the fact we will have an opportunity to discuss a motion on Darfur early next week in plenary session.

Is the Minister concerned that what is taking place in Darfur is a test of the United Nations commitment to the concept of humanitarian protection? Put more bluntly, is it not an abuse of sovereignty to prevent the United Nations from intervening more appropriately?

Is the Minister concerned at the figures given what is needed to resource the current mission? The international response falls very much short of the $350 million in aid that was deemed necessary. Also, there is a serious shortage in logistical capacity. Frankly, there are more troops, police, aircraft and other transport required if the African Union is to make an impact. This is at the core of the issue and it is with reluctance I say it, but my question mentions dispossession and violence against the person. It seems that most of the criteria for defining genocide are met by what is happening in Sudan. Perhaps the most important issue of all, which I should like the Minister to respond to, perhaps next week, is Sudan's reluctance to attend anything other than a Heads of State meeting. Should there be a meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers, as I indicated at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, which would serve as the first phase of the United Kingdom proposal for a Heads of State meeting dealing comprehensively with the region?

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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What was the first issue?

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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The first issue was about the concept of humanitarian protection, which the UN is seeking to advance.

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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On many occasions, particularly at GAERT meetings, I have said that in the context of the UN reform issue this is the first opportunity we have to put into practice the principle of responsibility to protect. Ireland and a number of other countries such as Denmark have said at the start of the current phase of difficulties in Sudan that if the sanctions are not sufficient to put pressure on the Sudanese Government, we will have to move to plan B. Plan B is the upward escalation of sanctions, but when to intervene is the key issue. The fact is some progress has been made and it is not a simple matter. Having visited Sudan in July, I know it is not a simple issue of just sending in a UN force. I see that clearly, and when I left Sudan I believed strongly that the situation we have now arrived at would occur, namely, that there is agreement by the Sudanese Government to envisage a much larger UN hybrid mission than the present AMIS initiative. I saw the AMIS mission in July and it was clear it was too small for Darfur, which is similar in size to France. That is why Ireland and other EU countries contributed at a subsequent pledging meeting as regards beefing up the existing AMIS contingent. It is a difficult situation in which, thankfully, Mr. Kofi Annan and the UN have been very actively involved in conjunction with the African Union. I am somewhat hopeful this issue can move positively in the near future.

Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Is the Minister concerned at the enormous gap in the estimates for those who have been killed in the last two years? Some international bodies have given a figure of 50,000 to 60,000, but the most authoritative recent report suggests it is as high as 400,000.

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I do not know whether this is a question, but it is hard to put one's finger on the actual number of people killed. However, there is no doubt it runs into hundreds of thousands.