European Parliament / Human rights: Tanzania; South Sudan

 

European Parliament / Human rights: Tanzania; South Sudan

 

STASBOURG, France, March 12, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — European Parliament passed resolutions on Thursday: strongly condemning the practice of land grabbing in Tanzania and calling on all sides in South Sudan to form a transitional government of national unity.

 

The issue of land grabbing in Tanzania

 

MEPs strongly condemn the “illegal displacement of local rural communities, the destruction of their villages and traditional way of life, and the violation of their basic human rights” and actions that do not recognise the legitimacy of customary tenure arrangements that provide statutory rights for individuals and communities. They call on the Tanzanian government to immediately implement the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT).

 

They ask the Commission to ensure the alignment of its land policy guidelines with the VGGT, and to report to Parliament on expenditure under development programmes and the EU budget related to land governance, with a view to ensuring that those programmes promote human rights.

 

The resolution was passed by show of hands.

 

 

South Sudan

 

Parliament is deeply concerned by the worsening security and humanitarian situation in South Sudan which could destabilise the whole East Africa region and calls on all sides to “form a transitional government of national unity and allow for full access to humanitarian assistance”. It also calls for an “unconditional, complete and immediate ceasefire” and for the immediate release and safe return of all children recruited by armed forces since the beginning of the conflict in December 2013

 

MEPs call on the Commission to help mobilise resources to support the long term reintegration of children recruited into armed forces and those affected by the conflict and underline the need for the adoption of a comprehensive arms embargo at regional and international level.

 

The resolution was passed by 626 votes to 4, with 11 abstentions.

 

SOURCE 

European Parliament