Cameron Thompson (Blair, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is a pleasure to join in this motion on Darfur, but the subject matter is something that appals all members of the House. I congratulate the member for Cook for raising it. Although it is a small part to play in a debate such as this, I think it is important that members of the House continue to focus on the international crisis in Darfur. I congratulate the member for Melbourne Ports on having raised some of the inadequacies in the international community’s response. It is something that Australia, I am proud to say, is playing a very strong part in trying to correct. As members of this House, we need to focus on it and to continue raising our voices against the inadequate response we have seen so far from the world community.

In 2004 the United Nations termed this the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Our effort in Sudan has been quite focused. The signing of a comprehensive peace agreement in January 2005 heralded a cessation in the 21-year-long, north-south civil war in southern Sudan. The civil war in Sudan concerns disputation between the mainly Muslim north and the non-Muslim south and has resulted in a huge death toll, which we have heard about from members.

As I said, Australia has played an important part in endeavouring to get involved by supporting the UN and other missions in Sudan. The current effort is the UN mission in Sudan, for which Australia is providing 15 specialist ADF personnel. With the peace agreement between the government and the main rebel group in place, there is no basis for the government of Sudan to delay and place conditions on a transition. The Australian government has strongly supported two Security Council resolutions—1591 and 1593 of March 2005—which impose an arms embargo and establish a no-fly zone over Darfur. There has also been resolution 1672 of 25 April 2006, which imposes financial and travel sanctions on four individuals because of their activities in Darfur.

We have seen genocide in Darfur. We have seen an incredible tragedy unfolding there, and that is having an impact on the flow of refugees to Australia. We have seen that in my electorate, immediately to the west, in Toowoomba, with a growing Sudanese refugee population. I think it is timely to congratulate the local community on their efforts to accommodate these people and support them.

We have seen articles highlighting some of the problems in Sudan and their ramifications. A recent article in the Bulletin and Newsweek on 11 April this year highlighted the fact that 30,000 black African refugees have settled in Australia since 2000-01 and that the Sudanese have accounted for well over half of these people. The rest is made up of smaller numbers of people from Liberia, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Congo and Eritrea. This is a challenge for local communities such as those around Toowoomba and Gatton in my electorate. It is a huge cultural jump for these people, and I pay credit to the Christian and other organisations that are putting such a big effort into supporting them and giving them a new start in our country.

I would like to finish by summing up what has been happening in Sudan. We have seen a divided government in Khartoum and long-term tension and hostilities in Darfur. We have seen uncertainty and unpredictability in the government’s negotiations with the rebels. We have seen political difficulties confronting efforts to influence the Sudanese government and the limited capabilities of anyone involved in the exercise to monitor the force there and to effectively mitigate what is an unfolding crisis. (Time expired)

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