Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the political and security situation within the Darfur region of Sudan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39488/06]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 26: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the UN Secretary General's latest report to the Security Council on Darfur. [39462/06]

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 63: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the latest discussions that have taken place between his Department and the Government of Ethiopia to encourage the Government of Sudan to agree to allow a UN peacekeeping force into Darfur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39486/06]

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 65: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the details available as to the relationship which exists between China and the Sudanese Government; the initiatives in train at international, United Nations and European Union level seeking to alleviate this position; the contributions Ireland has made in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39547/06]

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 197: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps being taken to secure the deployment of a full United Nations force for Darfur, Sudan; the humanitarian and security situation in the region; if an expanded African Union and United Nations force will have the necessary authority and ability to restore order and stop indiscriminate killings in Darfur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39722/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 206: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is satisfied that action taken to date in Darfur is sufficient to prevent killing, extortion and human rights abuses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39817/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos 16, 26, 63, 65, 197 and 206 together.

The Government's general position on the situation in Darfur is outlined in Priority Question No. 2 of today.

In his September 2006 monthly report on Darfur, the UN Secretary General expressed particular concern at the Government of Sudan's attempt to find a military solution to the crisis and its use of aerial bombardment that fails to distinguish between civilians and combatants. He also highlighted increased restrictions on humanitarian efforts, recurrent attacks on women and girls in IDP camps and a rise in the number of militia attacks on civilians. During October and November attacks on civilians have further increased. These terrible developments underline the urgency of putting in place an effective international peace keeping force in Darfur.

As regards contacts with the Ethiopian Government, I met Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in Addis Ababa in July 2006 and I wrote to him on 15 September to urge him to encourage the President of Sudan to accept the deployment of the UN operation in Darfur, with a strong mandate for the protection of civilians and provision of security for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. I also argued forcefully for the transition to a UN force with the Foreign Minister of Ethiopia while I was in Addis Ababa in July, and found his approach to this issue to be positive and constructive.

While China's approach to international relations is strongly conditioned by its attachment to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, it has in recent times sought to play a relatively constructive role in relation to Darfur. During the China/Africa Summit in Beijing on 4-5 November 2006, the Chinese President and Foreign Minister are believed to have stressed to President Bashir the need to engage with others to deal with Sudan's problems, particularly in Darfur. At the meeting in Addis Ababa on Darfur on 16 November, co-chaired by the UN and African Union, the Chinese representative made a strong appeal to Sudan to accept the UN Secretary-General's proposals for the deployment of a hybrid UN/African Union peacekeeping force.

I regret that China has abstained on the various UN Security Council Resolutions dealing with Sudan/Darfur. However, it has provided US$4 million in budgetary support and humanitarian aid to AMIS, the African Union's ceasefire monitoring mission there. China also welcomed the signature of the January 2005 North/South Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement and committed 200 troops to UNMIS, the UN's peacekeeping operation in Southern Sudan. I welcome these positive contributions, but would urge China to now bring all its influence to bear on the Sudanese President to deliver on the agreement reached at the meeting in Addis Ababa on 16 November.

The economic relationship between China and Sudan is very important. According to the Sudanese Foreign Trade Ministry, China is Sudan's main commercial partner and largest investor. The state-owned China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) owns 40% of Sudan's largest oil venture, the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company.

It should be recalled that under the provisions of the January 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, 50% of oil proceeds in southern Sudan are for the use of the Government of Southern Sudan, an area which has suffered extensively from the conflict waged there over twenty years and which is much in need of development and investment. Southern Sudan obtained US$865 million from this source in September 2006.

According to Amnesty International, arms deliveries to Sudan from China since the 1990s have included ammunition, tanks, helicopters and fighter aircraft. In March 2005 the UN imposed an embargo on arms supplies to all parties to the conflict in Darfur. The UN's Sudan Sanctions Monitoring Experts have stated that much of the ammunition used by parties to the conflict in Darfur was manufactured in China. They also discovered that in October 2005 Chinese-manufactured military trucks procured by the Sudanese Ministry of Defence had been transferred to Darfur. The Experts have recommended that the UN's arms embargo should be extended throughout Sudan, like the current EU embargo, and that countries which supply military goods and services to Sudan should require end-use destination certification. However, these recommendations have not yet been implemented by the UN Security Council.