Global Policy Forum

By Matthew Tempest

Jack Straw is to personally visit war-torn Sudan, the Foreign Office announced tonight, as Tony Blair refused to rule out sending British troops to aid the million refugees under threat from disease, starvation and militias. The foreign secretary will fly to Africa next month - although a date has not yet been announced - as pressure grows on Britain and the west to intervene in the state.

The prime minister today confirmed that British military involvement in Sudan was an option - but said the government was "not at that stage yet". Questioned on the Guardian's report today that he had asked for plans to be drawn up to send troops to the crisis-struck African country, he said such reports were "premature", but that nothing had been "ruled out". Speaking during his monthly televised press conference, Mr Blair revealed he would be talking to the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, about the situation by telephone tonight, and added: "We rule nothing out but we are not at that stage yet."

Mr Straw also said Britain was pressing the EU to send a joint civil-military team to the region to help the African Union (AU). That could include British personnel with military expertise, but Mr Straw stressed it would not be a fighting force.

"The Sudan army is at best passive and at worst complicit in these attacks," the foreign secretary said. "For the peacekeeping to be effective the Sudanese government has to stop the fighting. That's why we are sending very strong messages to the Sudanese."

Mr Blair said the British government was the largest cash aid donor to the region and was putting pressure on the Sudanese government to stop the militias who have driven the refugees from their homes. "We have got to move in concert with people but the critical thing is to try at least at this stage to make the current strategy work," he said.

Pressed again on military intervention, Mr Blair added: "We have a moral responsibility to deal with this and to deal with it by any means that we can. "But I think we need to work very carefully with the African Union because, after all, they are the regional political body. "There is no point doing things unless you have very clear support in the region.

"We just have to wait and see how it develops. We have the strategy at the moment. This is, as I say, something we are absolutely focused upon. "What is happening there at the moment is unacceptable, and of course we have a moral responsibility to do what we can."

The Guardian reports that the three options for military action have been put forward in Downing Street:
• British servicemen to help with the delivery of aid if the humanitarian agencies can no longer cope. At present, the Belgian air force is helping to fly in aid. Britain is using civilian planes because they are cheaper;
• British logistical support for an AU force of 60 monitors and 300-strong protection force being deployed in the Sudan. The AU force is short of equipment, including helicopters, vital given the poor state of Darfur's roads;
• British troops to protect refugee camps being harassed by marauding militias. This creation of safe zones would be the most risky of the options and would require the agreement of the Khartoum government, which would be reluctant to give it.
A UN security council resolution is expected shortly, putting a timetable on the Sudanese government to resolve the crisis.

However, speaking in Paris, the Sudanese foreign minister said the UK could face an "Iraq" situation if it sent troops. Mustafa Osman Ismail said: "The increase in pressure from the United States and Great Britain is ... the same as the increase in pressure that they put against Iraq. "If he is going to send troops to Darfur, we will withdraw our troops and give him a chance to maintain security," Ismail said. "You know what is going to happen in one or two months, these troops are going to be considered by the people of Darfur as occupying forces, and you'll have the same incidents you are facing in Iraq."

He also rejected the need for any UN resolutions.

The Darfur refugees, mainly women and children, were forced to flee their homes after attacks by the Janjaweed, a militia armed by the Khartoum government to help combat rebels. The government, which initially slowed access by aid organisations to Darfur, has so far failed to fulfil promises to the UN to disarm the Janjaweed. Heavy rains in recent weeks have increased the threat of poor water supplies and disease.

The Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy, agreed on the need for action: "Tony Blair is right to say we have a moral responsibility to deal with the unfolding crisis in Sudan. "He needs to galvanise the international community and should use his weight as prime minister on the UN security council to achieve swift action."

Later, the shadow international development spokesman, John Bercow, said there was "a good case" for considering military action. "Foreign policy has not been robust enough," Mr Bercow told BBC Radio 4's World at One. "Although we are not yet at the point where a military invasion should take place - and we may never be at that point - the military option should not be ruled out."

However, the foreign office minister Chris Mullin said: "The signs are that they are doing that now. Previously, they have been in denial for a long time." Mr Mullin echoed Mr Blair by saying Britain was not yet at the stage of sending troops.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Policy Forum distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C íŸ 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.