The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the situation in Sudan.

The resolution had been tabled by the ALDE, Greens/ALE, EPP-ED, GUE/NGL and PES groups.

It warmly welcomes the signature of the historic Comprehensive Peace Agreement CPA in Nairobi on 9 January 2005 between the government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army SPLM/A, which marked the end of a 21-year civil war, as an important step towards bringing peace to southern Sudan and as a development that can also contribute to bringing peace to Darfur. Parliament notes the CPA provides for separate armed forces, with the withdrawal of 91 000 government troops from the south within two and a half years and of the SPLA from the north within eight months, an equal division of oil wealth and elections after three years. Accordingly, it urges all parties to implement the CPA and its set of protocols covering, inter alia, power and wealth sharing agreements, without further delay. It calls on the Sudan government and the SPLM/A to use the oil revenues they will receive under the CPA resource sharing for development purposes, so that the people of Sudan can see the benefit of peace.

Members emphasise that, whilst the CPA can contribute to sustainable peace throughout Sudan and to the efforts to address the situation in Darfur, at the same time there are serious concern that the growing insecurity and the lack of a peaceful settlement to the Darfur crisis could eventually jeopardise the entire peace process. They urge the Commission to ensure that the EUR 450 000 000 in aid be disbursed gradually and as far as possible via humanitarian organisations. They stress that the government of Sudan should only be granted access to these funds if substantial progress towards peace in Darfur is achieved , including the end of all violence, the reining-in of government-sponsored militias, and cooperation with the International Criminal Court criminal investigation.

The resolution calls on the government of Sudan and the governments of Chad, Libya and the Central African Republic to impose stricter controls on trade in small arms in the region. It calls on the UN Security Council to take all appropriate measures to stop any proliferation of arms to the Darfur region, and to consider limited sanctions as an appropriate tool to stop further arms trade and arms proliferation to the region concerned. Member States are asked to provide urgent and generous contributions to the humanitarian efforts under way in Sudan and Chad, including decentralised cooperation.

Parliament welcomes the UN Security Council decision to create the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS), composed of 10 000 persons as well as the Security Council to refer the situation in Darfur to ICC. All parties must back the ICC in order to end the culture of impunity within Darfur. The resolution condemns the ongoing violence, terror and widespread rape occurring in Darfur, including abductions of NGO workers, and the attacks by the militia and others on civilians in south and west Darfur on 25 and 26 April 2005 respectively, as reported by the UN . It also condemns the violence and harassment taking place within IDP camps in Darfur, and the refusal of access for some international NGOs to IDP camps. It insists that all IDP returns must be voluntary and conducted safely and under protection, and that the international community must be informed of any planned movements of IDPs before they are carried out.

Members go on to raise issues of concern, including the recruitment and use of child soldiers under the age of 18, treatment for women who have been raped, and the activities of the Lord's Resistance Army in southern Sudan and Uganda. They ask that the Sudanese Government take appropriate action in each case.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the situation in Sudan.

The resolution had been tabled by the ALDE, Greens/ALE, EPP-ED, GUE/NGL and PES groups.

It warmly welcomes the signature of the historic Comprehensive Peace Agreement CPA in Nairobi on 9 January 2005 between the government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army SPLM/A, which marked the end of a 21-year civil war, as an important step towards bringing peace to southern Sudan and as a development that can also contribute to bringing peace to Darfur. Parliament notes the CPA provides for separate armed forces, with the withdrawal of 91 000 government troops from the south within two and a half years and of the SPLA from the north within eight months, an equal division of oil wealth and elections after three years. Accordingly, it urges all parties to implement the CPA and its set of protocols covering, inter alia, power and wealth sharing agreements, without further delay. It calls on the Sudan government and the SPLM/A to use the oil revenues they will receive under the CPA resource sharing for development purposes, so that the people of Sudan can see the benefit of peace.

Members emphasise that, whilst the CPA can contribute to sustainable peace throughout Sudan and to the efforts to address the situation in Darfur, at the same time there are serious concern that the growing insecurity and the lack of a peaceful settlement to the Darfur crisis could eventually jeopardise the entire peace process. They urge the Commission to ensure that the EUR 450 000 000 in aid be disbursed gradually and as far as possible via humanitarian organisations. They stress that the government of Sudan should only be granted access to these funds if substantial progress towards peace in Darfur is achieved , including the end of all violence, the reining-in of government-sponsored militias, and cooperation with the International Criminal Court criminal investigation.

The resolution calls on the government of Sudan and the governments of Chad, Libya and the Central African Republic to impose stricter controls on trade in small arms in the region. It calls on the UN Security Council to take all appropriate measures to stop any proliferation of arms to the Darfur region, and to consider limited sanctions as an appropriate tool to stop further arms trade and arms proliferation to the region concerned. Member States are asked to provide urgent and generous contributions to the humanitarian efforts under way in Sudan and Chad, including decentralised cooperation.

Parliament welcomes the UN Security Council decision to create the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS), composed of 10 000 persons as well as the Security Council to refer the situation in Darfur to ICC. All parties must back the ICC in order to end the culture of impunity within Darfur. The resolution condemns the ongoing violence, terror and widespread rape occurring in Darfur, including abductions of NGO workers, and the attacks by the militia and others on civilians in south and west Darfur on 25 and 26 April 2005 respectively, as reported by the UN . It also condemns the violence and harassment taking place within IDP camps in Darfur, and the refusal of access for some international NGOs to IDP camps. It insists that all IDP returns must be voluntary and conducted safely and under protection, and that the international community must be informed of any planned movements of IDPs before they are carried out.

Members go on to raise issues of concern, including the recruitment and use of child soldiers under the age of 18, treatment for women who have been raped, and the activities of the Lord's Resistance Army in southern Sudan and Uganda. They ask that the Sudanese Government take appropriate action in each case.