Desmond Tutu in the European Parliament to discuss Darfur

1.08.52pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 7th Jun 2007

Archbishop Desmond Tutu was at the European Parliament earlier this week (Tuesday), he spoke to MEPs, along with Nobel Peace Prize winner Jody Williams, in a special debate on the situation in Darfur.

European Liberal Democrat Leader Graham Watson called for European leadership in launching a Marshall plan for Africa, starting with Darfur. He said "Darfur is not only a humanitarian but a political disaster. It is a statement of the world's impotence and incompetence in protecting victims of genocide. While Javier Solana's proposal for further sanctions on Sudanese trade is welcome as are demands for a new UN Security Council resolution, they are too little, too late. When G8 leaders meet this week in Heiligendamm they need to be much more ambitious" said Graham Watson. "I concur with Desmond Tutu when he said "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor". The people of Darfur deserve better than Europe's neutrality".