Sudan: A Shameful Place for an African Summit

Sudan: A Shameful Place for an African Summit

African Union Should Sanction, Not Reward, Khartoum's Crimes


(New York, November 17, 2005) - By allowing Khartoum to host its summit in
January, the African Union would tarnish its credibility and condone the
Sudanese government's complicity in crimes against humanity in Darfur, Human
Rights Watch warned today in a letter to African ######### of state.

The African Union has played an important role in Darfur, sending a
ceasefire-monitoring force, the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), which
now numbers almost 7,000 personnel and includes civilian protection among
its tasks. The African Union has also taken the lead in mediating between
the Sudanese government and two Darfur rebel groups. A seventh round of
peace negotiations is scheduled to resume in the Nigerian capital Abuja
later this month, with Sudan's international donors pushing for a peace
settlement before the end of the year.

"The African Union's efforts in Darfur have been met with constant
obstruction by a government that refuses to change its abusive policies,"
said Peter Takirambudde, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "The African
Union should not reward the sponsors of crimes against humanity with the
honor of hosting the AU summit or ascending to its presidency."

Sudanese President Omar El Bashir is apparently one of the candidates for
the African Union presidency, which this year will rotate to East Africa.
Although Sudan is also scheduled to host the AU summit, the two are no
longer linked. Previously, Sudan had been slated to host the AU summit in
July and take over the presidency at that time. But the African Union
changed the venue to Libya due to concern over the Sudanese government's
continuing human rights abuses and ceasefire violations in Darfur. Since
then, Nigeria has continued to hold the AU presidency. Under the African
Union's new procedure, the president will be elected by the member countries
at the summit on January 23-24.

AMIS continues to encounter obstacles from the Sudanese government as it
attempts to reach its full and effective deployment. Only recently, after
months of delay, did the Sudanese government allow AMIS to import 105
armored personnel carriers necessary to protect civilians as well as AMIS
forces. In October, five AMIS soldiers from Nigeria were killed in an
hours-long shootout with government-backed militias in South Darfur.

"How can the African Union be seen as a credible mediator in Darfur if one
of the warring parties hosts its summit and becomes the head of the
organization as well?" asked Takirambudde. "It's not too late for the
African Union to hold its summit elsewhere or for African leaders to
encourage a better candidate to run for the presidency."

While hostilities in Darfur lessened earlier in the year, violence against
civilians has surged again in the past two months. The government-backed
Janjaweed militias continue to operate with impunity from
prosecution-despite demands from the United Nations Security Council and the
AU Peace and Security Council that the Sudanese government disarm these
groups.

The representative of the African Union mission in Sudan, Baba Gana Kingibe,
in early October condemned the increased violence and denounced the Sudanese
government for continuing to support attacks on civilians with its Janjaweed
allies. He also denounced the Sudanese government's use of white cars
resembling AMIS vehicles.

Human Rights Watch called on the Sudanese government and all rebel factions
to immediately cease attacks on civilians, aid workers and AMIS forces. The
warring parties should also cooperate with all independent investigations of
the attacks.

Background

Since 2003, the Sudanese government has pursued a policy of targeting
civilians of the same ethnicity as rebel insurgents in Darfur. More than
180,000 people have died and more than two million people have been
violently robbed and burned out of their homes and villages, according to
U.N. figures. Coordinated government-militia attacks on civilians have been
the primary cause for the massive displacement and crimes against humanity
committed since mid-2003.

The African Union sent a military observer force into the region in June
2004 to monitor an April 2004 ceasefire agreement signed by the Sudanese
government and two Darfur rebel groups. Since July 2004, the number of AU
observers, troops and other personnel has expanded to almost 7,000, and the
mandate has broadened to include protection of civilians under "imminent
threat and in the immediate vicinity." But AMIS has been subjected to
attacks by all sides in the conflict. In early October a splinter faction of
the rebel Justice and Equality Movement temporarily took an AMIS delegation
hostage on the Chadian border, and government-sponsored militia killed five
AMIS soldiers around the same time.

Human Rights Watch's letter to the Member States of the African Union is
online at: http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/11/17/africa12041.htm


For more information, please contact:

In Washington, D.C., Jemera Rone (English, Spanish): +1-202-368-5414

In Amsterdam, Leslie Lefkow (English, French): +31-64-876-7375

Quote: "How can the African Union be seen as a credible mediator in Darfur if one of the warring parties hosts its summit and becomes the head of the organization as well?" asked Takirambudde. "It's not too late for the African Union to hold its summit elsewhere or for African leaders to encourage a better candidate to run for the presidency."

كيف يتسني لقاتل أطفال دارفور البشير رئيس الجنجويد أن يرأس نفس المنظمة التي من المفترض أنها تحمي أطفال دارفور من قوات حكومته و مليشيا الجنجويد ؟

Quote: African Union Should Sanction, Not Reward, Khartoum's Crimes