News Releases

No. 79/06
September 18, 2006

EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT BARROSO WILL VISIT SUDAN

Faced with growing instability in Darfur and risk of another humanitarian tragedy, the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, has announced today that he will visit Sudan soon.

“The EU is already heavily engaged both in providing humanitarian relief in Darfur and support for the Africa Union troops there," said President Barroso. "But we must step up our political engagement, to do what we can to avert a humanitarian crisis and to support the Africa Union’s work. That is why I intend to visit Sudan shortly.”

President Barroso will be joined on his trip by EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel. As part of the same trip President Barroso will lead, for the first time ever, a visit by the European Commission to its sister organisation, the Africa Union Commission, in Addis Ababa, to take forward the deepening of relations between these two organisations. Darfur and immigration will be two of the subjects at the top of the agenda.

The European Community has provided €340 million of humanitarian and food aid in Darfur, as well as €242 million of support for the African Union troops there.

For further information, please visit: http://www.eurunion.org/newsweb/HotTopics/Africa.htm#Darfur .
 

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