Washington DC, Brussels
In a series of briefings to US Congressional offices and European Parliament offices, Professor Walid Phares, Co-Secretary General of the Transatlantic Parliamentary-Legislative Group on Counter Terrorism described the North Sudan military action in Abyei as an “invasion” against internationally endorsed agreements, thus “the area is now an occupied zone which responsibility falls under the aegis of the UN Security Council. The United Nations must formally ask the Bashir regime, already under indictment for Genocide in Darfur, to immediately pull its forces from the area. The UN must use Chapter 7 to eventually take action against the occupying forces, accused by several local NGOs of brutality against civilians.”
Phares added “the UN must consider an immediate action of deterrence against Khartoum forces, and in protection of civilians. The Khartoum regime has been defying the UN and international law and has demonstrated in the past its capacity of hurting civilians. Thousands of men, women and children have left the area for fear of persecution. Hence the area should be designated as under security threat and should be put under Chapter 7 status for the protection of its population.”
Khartoum regime forces
