Blair met Sudanese Vice President Salva Kiir in London and (Blair's spokesman told reporters)Blair said..."We are reaching the crunch point. It's important that the Sudanese government be in no doubt at all of our seriousness.
Blair told Kiir there must be (clear progress by November 24 when African Union leaders meet to discuss Darfur.
On November 22, 2006, (see my previous post) Reuters reported that Prime Minister Blair told Sudan's President, Omar Hassan al-Bashir:
to implement a U.N.-brokered agreement aimed at ending the Darfur crisis or face a response from the international community...Before the phone call, Blair told parliament that there was international diplomatic support for "tougher measures" if Khartoum fails to implement the agreement. But he did not specify what such measures might be.
Currently, a press briefing dated December 5, 2006, on the 10 Downing Street site states that British Prime Minister Tony Blair's press secretary said,
"the Prime Minister hoped to drive forward the promises made by G8 leaders on Africa at Gleneagles in 2005. On Darfur, he said the Prime Minister will argue that pressure must be maintained on the Government of Sudan and President Bashir.
I know I've said this before but I REALLY REALLY think Blair means it this time.
Current number of people dead: "A U.N. agency's survey cites at least 200,000 deaths, but other studies say the death toll could be closer to 400,000 or more." (Source: (Associated Press)
People currently at risk: "Overall, the U.N. says, 4 million people in Darfur are in desperate need of aid." Source: (Associated Press)
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