Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen says Ottawa will push discussions about sanctions and other measures designed to solve the Sudan conflict at The International Humanitarian Conference in Paris on Monday.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
Canada’s International Development Minister says all options are on the table ahead of a conference in Paris set for Monday that will seek solutions to the humanitarian crisis resulting from the year-old conflict in Sudan.
The International Humanitarian Conference will be held on the first anniversary of the outbreak of the conflict, and will focus on raising funds to address the needs of those affected by the war. Since the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces began in Khartoum, nearly nine million people have been displaced within the country and outside its borders.
On Friday, Ahmed Hussen, the international development minister, announced $132.2 million in assistance for Sudan and the neighbouring countries of the Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan.
“In addition to the humanitarian response, we’ll also be talking about how to end this conflict, how can we support peace-building measures and how can we hold those who are violating human rights to account,” he said in a phone call with The Globe and Mail.
As Sudan crisis rages, Ottawa is urged to do more
When asked if the government had plans to implement sanctions like the United States, European Union and Britain have, Mr. Hussen said, “we’ll be talking to our partners on the best way to do that and we’ll take all the measures necessary to hold human rights violators to account.” He added that these are the types of discussions Canada will be pushing for at the conference on Monday.
Last June, the U.S. announced financial sanctions on four companies it says are fuelling the conflict in Sudan. Since then, it has introduced sanctions on various individuals and other entities.
The European Union and Britain have also introduced financial sanctions on individuals and entities involved in the conflict. Defense Industries System, which is Sudan’s largest defence enterprise, has been sanctioned by the EU, Britain and the U.S.
The federal New Democratic Party and the Green Party have recently called on the government to hold Sudanese perpetrators accountable.
Green Party deputy leader Jonathan Pedneault wrote a letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly urging the government prioritize more robust and immediate actions, including sanctions on those “directly implicated in the grave human rights abuses in Sudan.”
When asked how the government is responding to such calls, Mr. Hussen said, “we’ve condemned in the strongest possible terms the violence that’s happening on the ground in Sudan. We’ve called for an immediate ceasefire.”
He added, “we are exploring all options to hold those responsible for human rights violations to account.”
The funding announced on Friday will provide $100.7-million for emergency health services, protection services for gender-based violence survivors, and shelter, water and sanitation services for those most affected by the conflict.
The remaining $31.5-million will go to the United Nations Population Fund to support projects and services related to improving access to sexual and reproductive health and rights in Sudan.