AND AFTER THE INQUIRY, WE MAY ATTACK WITH A WORKSHOP

EU Calls for UN Probe of Sudan Genocide Charges (Deutsche Welle, September, 13th, 2004)

On Monday, the European Union's foreign ministers urged the United Nations to conduct an inquiry into allegations of genocide in Sudan, renewing the threat of sanctions for the African country.[...]

But the word "genocide" was not uttered in public comments made by any of the ministers. They know labelling the situation will determine their course of action -- and not all the bloc's governments are ready to take the steps required by UN obligations to stop genocide wherever it occurs. [...]

While Germany, France and the Britain would like to join in the United States' call for UN sanctions against Khartoum, political pressure is the best they can do at the moment because of hesitance from Italy, Spain and Greece. They would rather see the union reinforce its opposition, a move that others think would play into the Sudanese government's hands.

"I have the feeling that the government of Sudan is at the moment laughing at us, at the international community," said Ana Gomes, a Portuguese member of the European Parliament who recently returned from a fact-finding trip to Darfur. "They know how to read the contradictory signs that were given by the international community in dealing politically with this issue."

Sudan isn’t the only one laughing at them.