Resolution of African CSOs on Unsuitability of Sudan to hold Presidency of AU

STATEMENT ON DARFUR

January 14, 2006 , Nairobi- Kenya To All Heads of State and Government Members of the African Union (AU) Resolution of Independent African Civil Society meeting 13-14 Jan 2006 on the Unsuitability of Sudan to Hold the Presidency of the African Union Your Excellencies, We the representatives of more than 50 human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations meeting in Nairobi, Kenya from January 13th to 14th, 2006 representing African Civil Society are honored to present our compliments to your high Offices.

We wish to express our deep concern with respect to the ongoing plans by the African heads of state and government to confer the AU Presidency for the year 2006-2007 on Sudan; and in particular to President Omar El-Bashir. We seriously believe that such an action will deeply undermine and erode the credibility of the AU and at the same time compromise the authority of its institutions. The human rights and humanitarian situation in Sudan’s Darfur region continues to be one of the worst in the world. The Government of Sudan is one of the parties considered responsible for this situation, where an estimated 300,000 people have been killed and two million others mainly women and children deliberately uprooted from their homes since February 2003. This has largely been attributed to the activities of the Government of Sudan and her allied Janjaweed militia. A United Nations Commission of inquiry report on Darfur further confirmed the above and formed the basis of the UN Security Council’s referral of the situation to the International Criminal Court. Excellencies, The Government of Sudan and the Janjaweed continue to hold civilian populations in IDP camps as hostages of war, block access routes to major parts of Darfur and obstruct the work of humanitarian relief organizations. Despite the laudable efforts of the African Union to end the crisis, through the African Mission In Sudan (AMIS) and the on-going Abuja negotiations under the stewardship of President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, the Government of Sudan has demonstrated complete disregard to the numerous measures undertaken by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government and the Peace and Security Council, which amongst others, demanded that Sudan puts an immediate end to its military activities in Darfur. It is in the light of the fore-going that we reiterate our concern that because of these crimes against humanity committed on her territory, Sudan should not be rewarded by granting the leadership of the African Union to President El-Bashir at this very crucial moment in the Union’s history. Such a move would defeat the core principles and objectives of the African Union’s Constitutive Act, which includes; the promotion of peace and stability on the continent and upholding and protecting human and peoples’ rights. Excellencies, In view of the leading role played by the AU Presidency in the on-going Abuja talks, Sudan cannot be entrusted with this responsibility of guiding the talks, as it is a party to the conflict. We believe that the entire process of the Inter-Sudanese Peace Talks on Darfur lies in jeopardy should the AU Presidency go to Marshal Omar El-Bashir. Respectfully AFFORD - AFRICAN FOUNDATION FOR DEVELOPMENT AFRICA AFFILIATES, INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF JOURNALISTS, AFRICA INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS VOICE(AFRICA IDP VOICE), AFRICA PEACE FORUM AFRICAN CENTRE FOR DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS STUDIES AFRICAN MEDICAL AND RESEARCH FOUNDATION, AMREF AFRICAN WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNICATION NETWORK - FEMNET AFRICAN YOUTH PARLIAMENT: AFRIMAP BAOBAB CENTRE D’ETUDES ET DE RECHERCHE EN DROITS DE L’HOMME ET DÉMOCRATIE: CENTRE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT EDUCATION (CLEEN) CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF VIOLENCE AND RECONCILIATION, CHADIAN ASSOCIATION OF VICTIMS OF POLITICAL REPRESSION AND CRIME (AVCRP) CIVIL SOCIETY LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY CENTRE COALITION FOR AN AFRICAN COURT ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS CREDO FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ASSOCIATED RIGHTS, ECOLOGICAL YOUTH OF ANGOLA (JEA), ELECTORAL INSTITUTE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA FAHAMU FAMEDEV-INTER- AFRICA NETWORK FOR WOMEN, MEDIA, GENDER EQUITY AND DEVELOPMENT JOURNALISTE EN DANGER (JED) KABISSA MEDIA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA NETWORK (MISA), MOVEMENT FOR CULTURAL AWARENESS (MOCA), MWENGO NATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP(NAG), NETWORK ON EQUITY IN HEALTH IN SOUTHERN AFRICA (EQUINET): OPEN SOCIETY JUSTICE INITIATIVE REGIONAL NETWORK OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH AIDS SADC YOUTH MOVEMENT SAFAIDS SOUTHERN AFRICA NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION NETWORK (SANGONET) TANZANIA MEDIA WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION THE DARFUR CONSORTIUM THE EASTERN AFRICAN SUB-REGIONAL SUPPORT INITIATIVE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN (EASSI), THIRD WORLD NETWORK - AFRICA, WOMEN ADVOCATES, RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATIOIN CENTRE, WARDC YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FORUM (YODEFO) FOR FUTHER CONTACT Dismas Nkunda, The Darfur Consortium, +256 78 310404, Rotimi Sankore, CREDO for Freedom of Expression & Associated Rights, +44 207 7875501,

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