Is African Union Peace and Security Council(PSC) is Peace spoiler
in Darfur
By Tadjadine Bechir Niam
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On
13 March 2011, the negotiating Parties: Liberation and Justice Movement(LJM)
and Government of Sudan(GOS), JEM is still studying endorsed the 4
Chapters proposed by the Joint Mediation(AU-UN&
Qatari Mediation) on 12 February 2011, namely on Human Rights and Fundamental
Foredooms; Wealth Sharing; Compensation, Return of IDPs and Refugees; and
Justice and Reconciliation.
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Later,
on 3 April 2011, the Joint Mediation requested the Parties to submit
by 7 April 2011 , the 2 remaining Chapters
(Power Sharing and the Administrative Status
of Darfur; Comprehensive Ceasefire and Final Security Arrangements). The Parties(except
JEM which is still working on the
documents) submitted their observations/ comments/amendments on the 6th
of April 2011. The Joint Mediation urged the parties to hold bilateral
discussions to reach a ‘’common ground’’. It requested LJM to encourage JEM to
enter into a Cession of hostilities with GOS.
In the meantime, the Mediation is working on a separate chapter on implementation mechanisms and modalities.
The Joint Mediation promised to prepare the final draft compromise texts for
peace in Darfur (based on the parties submissions as well as consultations with
a large spectrum of Darfur stakeholders inside and outside Sudan) .
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The
Parties welcomed the mediation’s proposal to the convening of a stakeholder
conference before the end of this month in Doha to be widely attended by IDPs, Refugees,
Darfur Diaspora, the main Sudanese political parties, influential individuals and the Parties. The conference is
also expected to be attended by officials from UN, AU, EU, LAS, OIC , and
Special Envoys from USA,UK, France, Russia, China, Canada, Netherlands, Japan,
as well as representatives from regional and other international partners.
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Without taking into consideration all the above achievements and previous ones
materialized by the signing in 2010 of Framework Agreements and a Ceasefire
Agreement (GOS-LJM& JEM), the AU PSC came out of its meeting on Friday 8
April 2011, with unusual criticism of the AU-UN Joint Chief Mediator Mr. Dijbrill
Bassole. The Communiqué accused Mr. Bassole
of working solo and disregarding the directives of the AU to coordinate with the
AU High Level Panel(AUHIP) headed by former President of South Africa Thabo
Mbeki. The PSC asked Mr. Bassole to report to the AU by the 30th of
this month. This is unfair , not
justified and un-diplomatic in any way. Why
the AU PSC did not invite and listen to
him before announcing its verdict? What are the un-exposed goals behind all
this well planned defamation of the ongoing peace process? Why AU PSC is not
recognized the achievements of the Mediation hailed by the international
community and all peace lovers?
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Contrary to the facts on the ground, the AU
PSC praised and supported Prof. Gambari and President Mbeki. In my topic published on
Sudantribune.com & Sudaneseonline .com, on 4th December 2010, I have clearly proved that (UNAMID
is a failed mission) and called on AU,EU&UN to make an assessment
and determine whether to continue it or not. As I write theses lines today, the security
situation in Darfur is in more than worrisome, more than any time before in
Darfur; Intimidation, abduction, hostage taking , arbitrary expulsion of relief
workers, paying of ransoms for freeing abductees , hijacking of vehicles ,
killing of IDPs , violation of human
rights are continuing unabated. New displacement of more than 70,000 was reported in the last three months (UN
OCHA).UNAMID totally failed to establish
a Ceasefire Commission in Darfur despite the signing of a Ceasefire Agreement since
March 2010, an agreement on Implementation Mechanism thereto on June 2010 and submission
of the names of their members in July 2011. With all these shortages, the AU
PSC praised Prof. Gambari !!!!!
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The
Darfur Darfur Dialogue(DDD) or Darfur Political
Process (DPP), is our own suggestion and we believe it is important but only if
a series of conditions are met on the ground ; including peace agreement in
Doha , consultation with the parties(movements &GOS), lifting of the state of Emergency ,creating the conducive
environment, freedom of movement,
meeting , and gathering. DPP is to be linked with Doha not competing or parallel
to it. Any DPP ought to be fully managed and observed by the Parties and
the international community.
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While
we recognize that our elder President Mbeki has positively contributed to our
cause on his historical report on Darfur in October 2009 in Abuja; Nigeria. But
recently, he did not feel any embarrassment
to publicly support the GOS in
its ‘’domestication’’ process before a peace deal is arrived at in Doha. The AU
PSC is encouraging the GOS not to give the needed concessions to reach an
agreement, because it is calling for the DPP to be held in May 2011. With whom
does Mbeki and Gambari want to undertake
this so-called political process, and how can the AU support it!!!!!!!!!!!Can
any African ever trust the AU PSC as a genuine broker in continental affairs or
can it be taken seriously in Darfur or elsewhere in Africa when it issues such
unbalanced communiqué to a chief Mediator jointly appointed by AU!!!!. It may be recalled that AU, a then newly
born body, took the leading role since the conflict erupted in 2003, all the
more reason for it to play a more positive role in this final stage of the Doha
Peace Process.
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From
the perspective of the people of Darfur and those involved in struggle for
justice and peace in Darfur and Sudan. We are utterly betrayed by the AU PSC
.We have a lot of reservations about the way the Continent is being lead by the current AU PSC, and if at
all any African who knows the way the organization works now, can be proud
of it. I urge all Africans and the
international community to reject the communiqué and ask the AU Peace and
Security Commissioner to resign. I again call on the AU Chairperson to
investigate and find out the damage done on the AU by this un-called for communiqué.
Tadjadine Bechir Niam
Researcher in international Affairs & Diplomacy
And Chief Negotiator for LJM/A
Doha; Qatar 11th April 2011
The opinion expressed here are those of the author and do not
reflect the opinion of the organization to which he belongs. He can be reached
at: [email protected]