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<title>AXWORTHY OUTLINES NEW INITIATIVES TO FURTHER PEACE IN SUDAN</title>
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<p><font face="Arial" size="+1"></font><font face="Arial" size="+1">February 14, 2000 <em>(11 a.m. EST)</em> No. 26</font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial" size="+1"><strong>AXWORTHY OUTLINES NEW INITIATIVES </strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial" size="+1"><strong>TO FURTHER PEACE IN SUDAN</strong></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today announced new Canadian initiatives aimed at
bringing peace to Sudan. They include support for a return visit to southern Sudan by
Leonardo Franco, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Sudan; financial assistance to
combat the abductions of women and children; an undertaking to use Canada's presidency
of the UN Security Council in April to address the humanitarian impact of this conflict on the
people of Sudan; and the opening of a Canadian office in Khartoum.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">These decisions were made following the first visit to Sudan and the region by Senator Lois
Wilson, Canada's Envoy to the Peace Process, and following Mr. Axworthy's review of the
report prepared by John Harker, who visited Sudan to investigate allegations of slavery and
other reported human rights abuses related to oil development.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">"Senator Wilson's and Mr. Harker's reports reinforce our serious concerns regarding the
prospects for peace in Sudan, and the need for the international community to support the
peace process with renewed vigour," said Mr. Axworthy. "They also highlight the terrible toll
that Sudan's tragic and cruel war is taking on the lives of innocent civilians, and underscore
the need for the parties to make a firm commitment to reach an early, just and durable
peace. Canada continues to believe that engagement and dialogue are the most appropriate
tools for advancing the cause of peace in Sudan."</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Canada hopes that Mr. Franco will be able to travel to southern Sudan to continue the
valuable work that he has already done on the displacement of civilians and other human
rights violations in that region. The Government of Canada will provide the necessary
support to facilitate a resumption of his mission.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Canada will, as suggested in the Harker report, provide financial assistance to the
Committee on the Eradication of Abductions of Women and Children, either directly or
through UNICEF. The Committee is rendering an invaluable service in helping to reunite
women and children who have been abducted from their families in southern Sudan.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Canada vigorously supports the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
regional peace process and its Declaration of Principles as the only viable means of
achieving a just peace in Sudan. Senator Wilson has just returned from a visit to the region
to promote the peace process and to urge the parties to reach a negotiated settlement to the
conflict. As a priority for Canada's presidency of the UN Security Council in April, Mr.
Axworthy will work to ensure that the Security Council exerts its influence to support these
regional mediation efforts.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The report of the assessment mission does not recommend the imposition of unilateral
economic sanctions in the present situation. However, it makes clear that private-sector
interests have a responsibility and an opportunity to make a positive contribution to the
human rights situation within their sphere of influence. Talisman Energy, a large Canadian oil
company with a significant presence in Sudan, is well-placed to make such a positive
contribution. In this connection, Talisman is strongly encouraged to continue its efforts to
develop, with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), an effective mechanism for
monitoring its operations in Sudan, to ensure that they do not lead to an increase in tensions,
or otherwise contribute to the ongoing conflict.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) will meet with
representatives of the NGO community on Tuesday, February 15, to discuss ways in which
the Government of Canada could support the monitoring of the human rights situation in
Sudan.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Finally, Canada will open a Canadian office in Khartoum in order to make a more effective
contribution to the peace process, to promote respect for human rights and to offer consular
services to Canadians in Sudan. Our embassy in Addis Ababa will remain accredited to the
Government of Sudan.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The findings of the assessment mission to Sudan have contributed to our understanding of
the situation in that country. Reporting from Senator Wilson, ongoing dialogue with the
parties to the Sudan conflict, and discussions in international forums such as the UN Security
Council will continue to contribute to the development of Canada's policy.</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The report is available on the DFAIT Web site at <a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221005811/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/foreignp/menu-e.asp">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/foreignp/menu-e.asp</a>. The document has been vetted for personal information only by the Department. The
views and opinions contained in the report are not necessarily those of the Department of
Foreign Affairs and International Trade.</font><font face="Arial"></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font face="Arial">- 30 -</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">For further information, media representatives may contact:</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Debora Brown</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">(613) 995-1851</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Media Relations Office</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">(613) 995-1874</font></p>
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