The German Catholic Church has issued an appeal calling for efforts to be multiplied with the aim of solving the crisis in the African region of Darfur (Sudan). “The millions of refugees cannot be allowed to become millions of dead”, says a press release of the German Commission of “Justitia et Pax” (an agency of the German Bishops’ Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics – ZdK) issued in Bonn in recent days. “Although the UN envoy for the prevention of genocide Juan Mendez spoke last week of situations [in Darfur] that are similar to genocide, the attention of public opinion to this region continues to decline”, declared the president of Justitia et Pax, Bishop Reihard Marx of Trier, who continued: “after the genocide in Ruanda, the world cannot stand idly by without acting to avert another one”. The bishop emphasized the need for “German leaders, the European Union and the UN Security Council” to redouble their own efforts. Marx deplored the weakness of the peace mission of the African Union and added: “The Security Council is blocked due to the energy policy interests of China and Russia”. According to Justitia et Pax, the paramount need at the present time is to provide greater protection to refugee camps and the transport of relief supplies to offer a real chance of survival to the population. “Apart from that – said Marx efforts need to be made to ensure that prospects of peace and security may once again be restored in Darfur”. Marx, lastly, welcomed the fact that the International Court of Justice in The Hague has expressed its wish to deal with the situation in Darfur.
