Miliband demands action over Darfur

12 April 2012

Foreign Secretary David Miliband has called for Sudan to speed up the deployment of peacekeepers to Darfur and to end aerial bombing attacks.

Mr Miliband said the international community is united in the need for a hybrid United Nations-African Union force, but the effort is stalled by a lack of necessary support from Khartoum.

"The government of Sudan has to facilitate (peacekeepers') entry in sufficient numbers and ensure they can do their job properly," Mr Miliband said in a speech to students at Peking University on the final day of his visit to China.

Sudan must also end the "terrible bombings in West Darfur," Mr Miliband said, referring to a fresh offensive by government soldiers and Arab militiamen against rebels in the war-torn region.

Hollywood director Steven Spielberg caused anger in Beijing earlier this month after he announced he would withdraw as an artistic adviser for the Games' opening and closing ceremonies.

He said China and other nations were not doing enough to ease the suffering in Darfur.

Mr Miliband, who on Thursday said human rights issues should not be overtly linked to the Olympics, said the impact of Mr Spielberg's actions would be limited. However, he called on China to view such criticisms as constructive.

"Do not believe Steven Spielberg is going to wreck the Olympics, however much the Olympics focuses the world's attention on China," Mr Miliband said.

"But do recognise that when individuals raise concerns over government policies, this is not born of desire to pick on China or block its rise, but instead see its power used as a force for good in the world."

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