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Meeting Of The Follow-Up Committee
Of The Afro-Arab Parliamentary Conference
(Khartoum 14-15/1/2009)


Khartoum Declaration
issued by the Follow-up Committee of the Afro-Arab Parliamentary Conference
on the Situation in Middle East and Africa

The Arab and African parliamentarians members of the follow-up Committee of the Afro-Arab parliamentary dialogue, meeting in Khartoum on 14-15 January 2009, considering the critical situations which are taking place in the Gaza Strip, the irresponsible accusations of the International Criminal Court ICC against some Sudanese officials as well as situations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia, adopted the following declaration:

 
First: On the Situation in Gaza

  1. Strongly condemn the barbaric aggression being launched by the Israeli occupying forces on the Gaza Strip since 27/12/2008. This aggression has resulted so far in the killing of more than one thousand people, more than four thousand injuries, third of whom are innocent children, and the destruction of all governmental and civil institutions, infrastructures, hospitals, worship places and thousands of residences,


  2. Express conviction that the Israeli aggression aims at crushing the will of resistance and determination of the Palestinian people and compelling them to yield to the Israeli terms in solving the Palestinian question, a matter that means the cancellation of the Right of Return, and prevention of the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, with the intention of ultimately eliminating the Palestinian cause,


  3. Affirm that this barbaric aggression represents a violation to the charter of the United Nations, the principles of International Law, the principles of the International Humanitarian Law and all principles and norms that humanity has recognized throughout its long history, and call for Israeli officials to be judged by the International Criminal Court for the crimes against humanity committed by Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza strip.


  4. Reaffirm that peace would prevail in the Middle East only through the implementation of the international legitimacy resolutions, which calls for the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from all Arab occupied territories in Palestine, the Syrian Golan Heights, the Lebanese farmlands of Shabaa and Kafar Shoba, back to the borders of 4th June 1967; affirm the right of the people whose territories are occupied to fight against this occuption by all the means.


  5. Call upon the International Security Council to issue a new resolution, in pursuance of chapter VII of the UN Charter, capable of forcing Israel to stop its aggression, to withdraw all its forces from Gaza, and to open all crossings in order to secure supplies of food and medicine to the population of the Gaza Strip, which charges Israel with the crimes committed in the Gaza strip and consequently asks to properly indemnify the population .


  6. Call on all parliaments and international and regional organizations to condemn the Israeli aggression on Gaza, and to unite themselves in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle to liberate their land, determine their destiny and establish their independent state with its capital Al-qods on its national territory; ask for pressure to be exerted on Israel with a view to freeing the President and the members of the Palestinian Legislative Council and all the Palestinians and Arabs held in Israeli jails.


  7. Request the two presidents of the Arab Parliamentary Union and the African Parliamentary Union to raise the issue of the aggression in the Inter-Parliamentary Union and in other parliamentary regional and international forums. They also urge all governments of the world to provide immediate assistance to the people of Gaza and to help them face the impact of the Israeli aggression,


  8. Strongly call on all Palestinian factions to eliminate their differences and unite their ranks in the face of the sole enemy who targets the entire Palestinian people,


  9. Welcome the resolution issued by the United Nations’ Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, and urge that an international fact finding commission be designated to investigate on the Israeli crimes in Gaza.


  10. Praise the popular solidarity, which has prevailed in different countries of the world in condemnation to the aggression and in solidarity with the Palestinian people, and call for its continuation and acceleration until the aggression is stopped.


 
Secondly: On the ICC charges against Sudanese officials:

  1. Express their solidarity with the Sudan, defend the integrity of its territory and people, and support the efforts exerted by the Government of National Unity (GNU) aimed at implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement CPA and finding a quick solution to all problems that hinder the progress of the country on the way of stability and development, particularly with regard to the issue of Darfur and its repercussions,


  2. Reiterate their rejection to any intervention in the Sudan’s internal affairs and strongly refuse the accusations of the ICC against his Excellency Omer Hassan Ahmed El-Bashir, President of Republic of Sudan. Consider these accusations as a serious precedent, biased and founded on political motivations, aimed at intervening in the Sudan’s internal affairs, and exercising pressure on it to accept all that contradicts with its sovereignty and national interests,


  3. Demand the African Union and the Arab League to assume this issue by virtue of their competences, through the development of appropriate mechanisms that ensure the sovereignty of African and Arab states against any abuse, breach or misinterpretation of the principles of international law,


  4. Affirm their rejection to the selective approach followed by the ICC and the double-standards which render the ICC as a mechanism that serves superpowers, aimed at those who take positions in conflict with the policies of these powers, or stand in the face of inequality or stances that are hostile to interests of peoples,


  5. Appeal to the international community to respect the Vienna convention which obliges member states to only adhere to the conventions that they have ratified, and consequently calls for the cancellation of the accusations and warrants of arrest based on false allegations and political motivations,


 
Thirdly: On the situation in DRC and Somalia

  1. Affirm their principal adherence to the respect of the national sovereignty, territorial integrity and the political independence of the Democratic Republic of Congo,


  2. Call upon all countries who are directly or indirectly engaged in the eastern Congo crisis to favor the peace in the resolution of differences ,


  3. Express their support to the mediation effort of Mr. Olusegon Obasanjo, envoy of the United Nations, that aims at finding a comprehensive political solution to the crisis, and call upon all concerned parties to cooperate with the view of guaranteeing humanitarian assistance,


  4. Affirm their respect to the sovereignty of Somalia and the integrity of its territory and people and express their support to the Djibouti peace initiative which aims at finding a solution to the conflict. Furthermore, call on all parties to commit themselves to the Djibouti Agreement with the aim of preserving stability and security and establishing governance and democracy institutions,


  5. Urge the African Union to consolidate peacekeeping forces in Somalia, and call upon the international community to provide necessary funds to the peacekeeping forces and to train the Somali armed forces in order to take their responsibilities. Also, call for training and qualifying the civil servants in order to contribute to the rehabilitation and the development of their country.


Issued in Khartoum 15 January, 2009.

 
 
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