Highlights

Sudan in the focus of EU foreign policy
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The Foreign Affairs Council on 22 November held an in-depth discussion on the situation in Sudan, one of the most urgent challenges facing the international community in the final, decisive stage of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended more than 20 years of civil war.

With less than two months to go before the South Sudan referendum on self-determination, deadlock over the referendum on the status of the disputed oil-rich border region of Abyei, a military build-up along the North-South border and an escalation of fighting in Darfur, the Council wants to keep Sudan high on the EU agenda. The EU will be deploying an Electoral Observation Mission to monitor the vote.

High Representative Catherine Ashton stressed the importance of sending a strong signal of EU engagement and support for a peaceful transition in Sudan. She announced that she was setting up a Sudan Task Force chaired by the EU Special Representative for Sudan, Dame Rosalind Marsden, to coordinate all the aspects of the EU's engagement..

The Council adopted conclusions reflecting the priority attached by the EU to Sudan. They stressed that full and timely implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, including the referenda on South Sudan and Abyei, are crucial for lasting peace and security. They welcomed the progress in the negotiations led by the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel headed by President M'Beki on outstanding CPA issues and future relations between North and South Sudan.

Ministers also expressed their continuing concern about the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur, recalling that peace in Sudan will never be complete without a lasting settlement of the conflict in that region, and called for the protection of civilians, promotion of human rights and an end to impunity.

More information:
Press release (pdf)
Council conclusions (pdf)
Webcast of press conference