EU ready to support Darfur police mission, will study sanctions

European Union foreign ministers Saturday vowed to help launch an African police force in Darfur and also started drafting possible sanctions against Khartoum, including a ban on oil trade.

The EU was ready to back up African Union efforts to deploy a police mission in Darfur, Dutch Foreign Minister and current EU spokesman Bernard Bot told reporters.

“The African Union is responsible for the situation (in Darfur) ...we are there to help if a request is made,” Bot said, adding: “We believe the AU is capable of creating stability.”

The EU move comes only days after the Sudanese government warned that it will not accept foreign peacekeeping troops in Darfur, but may agree to have more ceasefire monitors deployed in the region.

37 per cent of the region’s population still had no access to food supplies. Only about 500 international aid workers were currently present in Darfur, compared to the 2,000 needed to run an efficient humanitarian operation.

EU spokesman Mr Nielson insisted that the African Union - whose top official will meet EU ministers later Saturday - was best-placed to tackle the Darfur crisis.