Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today I rise in support of the motion circulated by the member for Fremantle regarding the conflict in Sudan. I do thank her for bringing this important matter to our attention. On 9 July this year, following an overwhelming vote for independence by the people of Southern Sudan, two new nations emerged in what was an historic moment for Sudan and the African continent. Before, during and after the birth of the world's newest nation, Sudan had been gripped by civil war, famine and other humanitarian crises. Immediately after Sudan's referendum I made a commitment in this place to work with our local Sudanese support services in my electorate of Greenway to enhance the lives of Sudanese Australians. Today I would like to reaffirm this commitment and discuss the conflict that is plaguing the Sudanese region. I would also like to acknowledge the presence of the member for Chifley, whose electorate also shares a large number of Sudanese settlers in western Sydney. I am sure he shares that affirmation.

According to the United Nations, since 2003 the conflict in Sudan has resulted in up to 300,000 people losing their lives as a result of violence, hunger and disease and almost three million people displaced. As indicated by the BBC, accurate figures are difficult to research and have made no distinction between those dying as a result of violence and those dying as a result of starvation or disease in the camps.

Resulting from disputes over land rights in the Darfur region of Sudan in 2003, the conflict has plagued the region for almost eight years. But as the US State Department outlines, Sudan has been at war with itself for more than three-quarters of its existence. Since independence in 1953, protracted conflict rooted in deep cultural and religious differences have slowed Sudan's economic and political development and caused massive internal displacement of people.

On 9 September 2004, the then US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, told a foreign relations committee that genocide has been committed in Darfur and that the government of Sudan and the Janjaweed bear responsibility and that genocide may still be occurring. Most recently, conflict has flared in the border region of Abyei causing mass displacement and loss of life. According to the United Nations, 100,000 people have fled the disputed region, causing a major humanitarian disaster. In April of this year Sudan's President said he would not recognise the South's independence unless it gave up the claim on Abyei made in the South's draft constitution.

As stated in the member's motion, insecurity and inaccessibility remain amongst the biggest challenges facing the delivery of assistance by humanitarian agencies to vulnerable populations. Earlier this year I said in this place that to ensure that South Sudan can prosper and remain a safe and productive nation; the Australian government must have an active role in the development of this young nation. I would like to turn to the Sudanese community in my local area, because this motion is of the utmost importance to the large and very active Sudanese community I represent.

I have previously mentioned the huge displacement that has been caused by the continuous conflict in Sudan. This displacement is very tangibly evident in Blacktown. I am reminded of this when I attend Blacktown City Council citizenship ceremonies in particular, which regularly comprise a large number of proud Sudanese born people who have chosen to call Australia home. This large Sudanese community makes a tremendous contribution to the multicultural fabric of our electorate. However, any new Australian citizens who have come from scenes of extreme violence in their homeland will of course unfortunately always find it difficult to feel truly included in their new homeland.

In the Blacktown community there are a number of leaders in multicultural services who are committed to addressing these very serious issues surrounding our newest Sudanese Australians. I would like to mention a few of them. St Patrick's Blacktown parish priest, Father Peter Confeggi, operates a service that deals with Sudanese Australian youth. Fr Confeggi works with members of the Sudanese community to ensure that young Sudanese Australians do not fall into traps of antisocial behaviour but are instead included and accepted in wider society.

Blacktown Police Superintendent Mark Wright works with Sudanese community leaders to ensure that young Sudanese Australians do not become involved in antisocial or illegal activity. Superintendent Wright has told me that we can do all we can in terms of sporting and other community initiatives to contribute to inclusive behaviour. Indeed, this has been successful in contributing to the betterment of the Sudanese community in Blacktown. However, his view is that there is a real risk of the next generation, the generation being affected by the most recent fighting in Sudan, falling into patterns of unacceptable behaviour.

Earlier this month I was joined by the Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs at Sydwest Multicultural Services in Blacktown to launch a new federally funded program designed to encourage good social behaviour in public spaces with a particular focus on our new settlement communities. The reality is individual members of the public often make judgments about specific nationalities unfortunately in an often generalised way based on behaviours they observe in public spaces, be it Blacktown Mall, WestPoint Blacktown Shopping Centre or around Blacktown station, and the behaviours of some often determine how members of the wider community judge the whole. Sydwest does a fantastic job in helping new Australians, including many Sudanese Australians, to become established in their new homeland. I am confident that this new program will lead to positive outcomes in our local area.

I have previously mentioned in this place Blacktown resident and President of the Equatorial Community Welfare Association of New South Wales, Mr Faustino Aboka, who lost seven family members during the civil war in Sudan. He now calls Blacktown his home and works as a role model for new Sudanese Australians in our local area.

All of these people work to ensure that the Sudanese Australian community are embraced in the local community of western Sydney in particular and are able to live and work in their new homeland. All of these community leaders have expressed concerns to me regarding the most recent fighting in the contested region of Abyei in particular, and I made a commitment to them that I would continue to raise this issue with Foreign Minister Rudd.

I take this opportunity also to mention the devastating humanitarian crisis unfolding currently in the Horn of Africa. East Africa is currently experiencing the worst drought in 60 years. According to UNICEF, in Southern Somalia a famine has been declared and some 600,000 children are on the brink of death suffering from severe acute malnutrition. The world is currently witnessing one of the worst natural disasters ever and of course we cannot stand by idly and do nothing. I thank the Foreign Minister for his rapid response to this crisis and note that Australia is currently the world's fourth largest country donor to the Horn of Africa, providing more than $88 million. However, we can never afford to be trapped by the perils of indifference and I encourage everyone in this place to do whatever they can to help the people of East Africa in their time of need.

In conclusion, I again thank the member for Fremantle for bringing these important issues to the attention of the house. As set out in item 7 of the member's motion, I believe we here are all of the same mind, that this government needs to provide ongoing and predictable, diplomatic and funding resources to address humanitarian and development needs in North and South Sudan. I also reaffirm my commitment to the Sudanese population living in my electorate and thank the various community leaders in Greenway for all their hard work in ensuring that these new Australians are included constructively in our society.

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