James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East, yesterday led a Commons debate about the ongoing troubles in Darfur, Sudan.
James called for the 90-minute debate as we reach the 5th anniversary of the start of the conflict in Sudan, which has seen at least 400,000 people killed and over 2 million people displaced from their homes. The debate also comes just before the global Day for Darfur on 13th April, when people around the world will be taking to the streets again to protest against the violence.
Introducing the debate, James said:
“We face such problems around the world, and Darfur is just one of the places where they are happening. Never before in my three years as a Member of Parliament, and never since, have I felt so weak and so unable to make an impact on a situation that needs the world’s attention.
…”Sudan is wrought with conflict. In only 11 of the past 50 years or so has there been anything other than a state of civil war. One of the things that compelled me to face the enormity of the situation is the number of people who have died.
“…It is far too easy to think of Sudan and Darfur as faraway places that are somehow different from the United Kingdom. I have not had the opportunity to visit Sudan, but from my extensive travels in other African countries I think that the similarities between our continents and countries are much greater than we realise.”
Calling for concrete action – having quoted 6 separate occasions out of many where Gordon Brown has talked about the need for toughening up sanctions on the regime in Sudan – James continued:
“There has been plenty of talk of the threat of sanctions. I could go on and on with such examples, but we have not seen any action. It is time for the British Government to act, not to talk tough.”
2 April 2008