Delay on Darfur a dereliction of moral duty

12.00.00am GMT Wed 9th Mar 2005

Commenting on the reports that the US has proposed a 45 day delay in any decision by the United Nations on Darfur, Parmjit Singh Gill, Member of Parliament for Leicester South, said:

"The international community has for too long failed to fulfil their responsibilities towards Darfur.

"Failure or even delay in referring the atrocities in Darfur to the International Criminal Court will be a dereliction of moral duty."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. The proposed 45 day delay has been reported by the rights group Human Rights Watch.

The full Story can be found online at: http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/03/07/sudan10268.htm

2. Kofi Annan has today called for immediate action by the Security Council on Darfur; separately a Crisis Group Report also out today describes mounting atrocities in Darfur.