25 March 2007
The Prime Minister has given a press conference at the EU’s 50th anniversary talks in Berlin. He discussed the situation in Dafur, the seized Navy personnel, and general European issues.
Parts of this transcript may have been edited
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Prime Minister:
This is Ishaq Mekki from the Darfurian Union, and the first thing I wanted to say was on Darfur and the situation there, and then I would like Ishaq to say some words to you.
The situation in Darfur is intolerable. Over 200,000 people have died. There are some 2 million people displaced, 4 million people on food aid. The brutality and the violence continues. The actions of the Sudanese government are completely unacceptable. It is, in my view, essential for the international community to take a new resolution on Darfur in the United Nations Security Council. This was raised by Chancellor Merkel in her speech today on the 50 years of the European Union. It also formed a significant part of our discussion over lunch today, and I think it is imperative that we show the determination as an international community to act in this situation, we need to extend the sanctions regime. I personally think that we need to keep open the possibility of a No Fly Zone in Sudan as well, and above all else we need to make clear both in the UN, the European Union and the African Union that the continuation of what is happening in Darfur is completely and totally unacceptable to the international community. And this is a test for us as a community, but it is also a test for the United Nations.
And I think there is a feeling in some quarters maybe with the Sudanese government that this issue will just somehow go off the international agenda. I think today has shown it will not go off the international agenda, it will stay until something is done.
So I am very grateful for the opportunity to have had this discussion with Ishaq Mekki today and to express my solidarity for him and his fellow countrymen and women who are going through such an appalling and difficult time, and we will do everything we can, we have been, but we will do everything we can to help in the future.
Ishaq, would you like to say some words?
Mr Ishaq Mekki:
My name is Ishaq Mekki from the Darfur Union, this is the Union who represents the victims in Darfur … and based in London. (inaudible) spoken to the Prime Minister today. The Prime Minister has shown the leadership and spoken to us, listened to what we have got to say, and talked about the … issues. And as he said, he has spoken wisely and openly in every aspect that he has.
But I am here today to speak to the different leadership of the European states, but unfortunately I can’t meet them as … very busy, but I think the agenda of Darfur is quite important. And at the celebration of the 50th European Union, I would like to say that we have (inaudible) a lot more from the European Union, and we will (inaudible) leadership to do something about Darfur.
We have here the 42 statements from the European Union over the last few years, but actually we do not need statements, we need an action at the moment, because we are having 200,000 people dead and we have got 2.5 million displaced … and outside. I think if the European Union had acted earlier …I would have a sister today who will be alive. My sister has been shot dead in the (inaudible) of Darfur, … she has committed nothing, left behind 8 children. This is 8 months ago. Had the European Union done something before today I would have my sister alive, as everyone else. Family is there … and important. What we want from the European Union today, to take the leadership and do something that is visible, significant, to deal with this four year ordeal of Darfur. (inaudible) leaders that they cannot meet me today, but I appreciate that Mr Tony Blair, the Prime Minister, has met me, listened to me and he will take the message off me.
Thank you very much.
Question:
We heard there, statements are not enough, we need action. People will wonder why it is taking so long and why we aren’t seeing direct action on the ground to make a difference.
Prime Minister:
Well that is absolutely the right question. I mean I think that the issue is first of all we need to get a new resolution at the United Nations which extends the sanctions regime against the key individuals who are perpetrating this violence; secondly, we need to build the support for the African Union’s force that is going into Darfur and we need to extend that force and equip it properly; and thirdly, we need to consider in my view a No Fly Zone which would prevent what is one of the key issues here that is stimulating and increasing this violence, which is the use of air power by the Sudanese government against the refugees and displaced people. So I think we need to consider all of those things and do it. Unfortunately it is not actually in the European Union alone that the answer to this is going to come, it has got to come with the international community being prepared to act, in concert with the African Union, and say this is intolerable and this has got to stop. Now we have put an immense amount, I think the European Union has contributed somewhere around 300 million euros of aid to Darfur. But it is not aid that they need, they need an end to the violence, they need a return to the negotiating table, they need the UN Plan that is there on the table to be properly implemented, and all I can say is that I will make sure the European Union does everything it can. But the next key step is to get a United Nations resolution through, and all of the countries that are permanent members of the Security Council have got to play their part in that.
Question:
Prime Minister, we understand that (inaudible) granted access to the military personnel being held in Iran. How concerned are you about the situation escalating and what steps can you take to bring pressure to bear on Tehran?
Prime Minister:
I have not been commenting up to now on this because I want to get it resolved in an as easy and diplomatic way as possible because it is the welfare of the people concerned that have been taken by the Iranian government that is most important. But this is a very serious situation and there is no doubt at all that these people were taken from the boat in Iraqi waters - it is simply not true that they went into Iranian territorial waters - and I hope the Iranian government understand how fundamental an issue this is for us. We have certainly sent those messages back to them very, very clearly indeed. I hope that this can be resolved over the next few days, but the quicker it is resolved the easier it will be for all of us. But they should not be under any doubt at all about how seriously we regard this act which was unjustified and wrong.
Question:
Prime Minister, if there is a new European Treaty, perhaps based on the constitution which as you know many of the leaders here want, will the British people get to vote on it?
Prime Minister:
Well at the moment what we are agreeing is this: that we are going to have a discussion about what is the basis for the future. Because there is no doubt at all that Europe needs to change its rules to make it more effective, because it is now a Europe of 27 and not a Europe of 15, and if we expand European membership even more in the future we need more effective rules to run Europe, there is no doubt about that. On the other hand, as for the constitutional treaty, there have been two No votes in France and Holland and we have just got to be realistic therefore about that. And so this is an issue that people have agreed that it is not going to be resolved today. There is a discussion about process today. But it does need to be resolved. I think the sooner it is resolved the better because we need these new rules for Europe, but I don’t think anyone should be under any illusion about this. I mean the fact is there have been the No votes to the constitutional treaty, but we will see what the next few months brings.
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