Darfur no-fly zone proposal struck down

Belgium raised the issue of operating a no-fly zone over Darfur to enforce a ceasefire and stop attacks on civilians during a meeting of EU foreign ministers this week (22 January). But no other country supported the idea, even though UK Prime Minister Tony Blair raised the possibility of a no-fly zone in December.

A UK spokeswoman said Blair had proposed that the idea be taken up at United Nations-level rather than by the EU.

Ministers instead threatened sanctions, expressing their "readiness to consider further measures" if the Sudanese government failed to allow the UN to help the African Union peacekeeping force on the ground.

The Council of Ministers condemned the continued ceasefire violations by the parties to the conflict and denounced in particular air strikes against civilian targets carried out by the Sudanese air force, such as the bombing of villages in north Darfur on 29 December and on 5 January.

Gareth Evans, president of the International Crisis Group, an independent monitoring group, said that the ministers’ move was another "darkened veiled threat" that did not go far enough.

"Enough time has now passed without effective co-operation from President [Omar Hassan] al-Bashir. Surely it is time for the screws to be applied and the heavy duty measures to be put in place," he said.

"The EU shouldn’t be a prisoner of the [UN] Security Council. There are plenty of measures they could take such as targeted economic sanctions."

One EU official said that member states were waiting to see if Sudan complied with promises it made in a letter to the UN last month saying it would accept a "hybrid operation" comprised of the UN and AU. But observers fear that Sudan will delay the process and not allow the UN on the ground.

Belgium raised the issue of operating a no-fly zone over Darfur to enforce a ceasefire and stop attacks on civilians during a meeting of EU foreign ministers this week (22 January). But no other country supported the idea, even though UK Prime Minister Tony Blair raised the possibility of a no-fly zone in December.