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Press Releases
World Service Newshour interview with Gordon Brown on Darfur
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Britain is likely to give technical support to the United Nations and African
Union peacekeeping force in Sudan, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has
announced in a 91Èȱ¬ World Service interview.
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He was speaking to the Newshour programme on the eve of a global day of action for Darfur on Sunday 16 September.
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He said the recent United Nations resolution to authorise the
deployment of a 26,000-strong UN-African peacekeeping force "has got to
be followed, and it would be disastrous if it wasn't, by action on the
ground."
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The Prime Minister said: "It's likely we will provide technical
assistance but it's also likely, because this is an African Union force
that is also being put in place, that we will give support to those
African countries that are actually contributing to the force."
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He added that: "The tragedy in Darfur is one of the greatest humanitarian
disasters of our time."
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Gordon Brown said a ceasefire was the key to moving forward in
Sudan, warning that more pressure would be applied if this did not
happen.
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"This is an attempt now to bring all these forces together, in
other words, to bring the resolution, the ceasefire, political
settlement, all these things coming together.
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"If that were to happen we'd be prepared to give economic assistance so
that the people of Darfur were in a better position and we can start to
rebuild.
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"If it doesn't happen, however, and all the promises are not honoured,
then I think we've got to be pretty clear and that's why I've said, and I
believe other countries will say, if it doesn't work and we find that the
government of Sudan is not making the changes necessary then we will have
to move to further sanctions."
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He stated that these could include commercial as well as economic
sanctions "not just on members of the government but placed on other
people as well."
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The Prime Minister also commented on the timescale saying: "I want to see
the hybrid force in place before the end of the year. I want to see it
there, if at all possible, earlier than that."
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Mr Brown described the situation facing the Sudanese people as a
disaster, saying: "I think it is one of the great tragedies of our time
that so many people have died, so many people have been displaced and so
many people face famine as a result of the events of Darfur."
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Mr Brown also gave his support to the global day of action for
Darfur: "When people say 'Don't Look Away Now' [the slogan of the day], I
can give the assurance that we are going to keep up our efforts as a
British Government, working with other governments, to make sure that
this combination of opportunities... do make the difference that's
necessary."
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Notes to Editors
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91Èȱ¬ World Service will broadcast the full interview at 1300 BST (1200
GMT) on Sunday 16 September 2007 on Newshour.
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The interview will be available to
listen to online at bbc.co.uk/worldservice after broadcast.
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91Èȱ¬ World Service Press Office
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