Mr. Chair, after 1994 in Rwanda, the west tried to excuse its failure by saying that it simply did not know, that the genocide that occurred in Rwanda was something that was a surprise to it and therefore excused its actions.
While we can debate whether the west should have known or did know, the fact is that the situation in the Sudan is very different today. We do know that a human tragedy is unfolding in the Sudan.
While the facts have been stated many times, it bears referencing them again in light of this debate. We know that more than 200,000 people have died. We know that some estimate that the number is near 400,000. We also know that 2.5 million people are internally displaced and living in official camps or squatter areas. Thousands of women have been abducted and systematically raped. Thousands of children have been forced into conflict. Eleven aid workers have been killed in the last three months alone, all Sudanese nationals, and not one perpetrator of war crimes against humanity has been brought to justice.
It would seem that the world has forgotten Africa. Because there are no vested interests, one may argue, other than the interests of humanity, the entire sub-Saharan region has largely been ignored and not been the benefactor of western support in the way in which it deserves and so badly needs.
Canada cannot stand idly by and be spectators to atrocity, particularly when we know and fully understand the extent of what is happening in the Sudan and the extent of human tragedy that is there. Canada has a role to play.
Canada should be proud of the role that it has played to date. In fact, the previous Liberal government set aside $366 million for the Sudan. We are currently number three in the world in development assistance. The current government has added over $40 million to that assistance.
The reality is that the world lacks political will and it needs leadership. It needs Canada to step forward and take decisive action and to say that what is happening in the Sudan is not acceptable and that we will not just accept words, that we will not engage in rhetoric and talk away while thousands of people are living in unbelievable situations, thousands of people are dying and women are being raped. We must take action.
In that regard I would suggest that there are four things that need to be done, three of which in the immediate term, one of which over the longer term. The first is that Canada needs to be at the forefront, the vanguard of pushing for diplomacy in allowing UN peacekeeping forces to get on the ground in Darfur. It is clear by the situation that is there today that the African Union is simply not up to the task of protecting the public in the Sudan and that UN forces are badly needed.
We also know that the African Union, which leads me to my second point, is poorly resourced. It is running out of money, it is running out of time and it is running out of the ability to stay there. We need to, in the near term particularly, support those African Union forces with special tactical teams and with the resources they need to be successful in the Sudan.
The third point is that it is my opinion that we need to begin preparing our forces today for a mission in Sudan, a mission that must happen. That means we need to set aside the resources and the troops in order to make that possible and to begin training those forces today, not leaving it until later.
The fourth point is an extension of that third point. It is longer term but I hope it is not that much of a longer term proposition. We must enter the Sudan. UN peacekeeping forces must be on the ground and Canada should be at the front of that effort.
Even if the Sudanese government refuses UN peacekeeping force, we have a moral obligation to enter and to protect those who are there. The United Nations charter has two sections which are often contradictory: one that talks about the imperative to protect the individual right to self-determination, and the other says that we should not interfere with the affairs of other states. In my opinion the first one takes precedent. We do have the moral authority and, in fact, we have the legal authority.
I would point out the fact that under Security Council Resolution 1706 and the Axworthy Responsibility to Protect, R2P, doctrine adopted by the UN a year ago, we absolutely have the ability to go there.
We need to refocus. We need to ensure that our foreign policy is focused on peacekeeping, protecting citizens and playing the traditional role that Canada has so proudly played. It is time to act and we have the moral imperative to do so.