West Africa against Sudanese candidacy for AU chairmanship
Jan 21, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — West African countries would ask Sudan to pull out its candidacy to the chairmanship of the African Union, while Sudanese government working hard to ensure the support of East and North Africa countries.
“West African countries are going to ask Sudan to withdraw its candidacy. Southern Africa is also against it,” told Reuters a West African government official who asked not to be identified.
Khartoum, under fire for human rights abuses, is hosting a two-day AU summit starting on Monday. Sudan is seeking to take over from Nigeria as chairman, based on a tradition that the summit host becomes the next head.
Sudan says it has East and North Africa’s backing in the AU, where countries tend to work in blocs. However, diplomats said southern, central and western African states were working behind the scenes to encourage Sudan to withdraw its bid.
A central African minister said his region was pushing for a less divisive candidate than Sudan, the only country that has put itself forward for the position so far.
One African minister said Nigeria was the main alternative to Sudan, but central African states would field a candidate, probably the Congo Republic, if there were deadlock.
Sudan had kept a low profile on its bid in the run-up to the summit but has embarked on a diplomatic offensive since preparatory meetings began, flooding state-owned media with messages of support for President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
“We are the only country that has nominated itself so far. We have canvassed enough votes. So there is no reason to withdraw,” Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol said.
Also, It seems that Egypt is lopping West and central African countries to persuade reluctant delegations to support the Sudanese candidature.
The 53-member AU, set up in 2002 to encourage democracy, development and human rights in the continent, has won praise for sending peacekeepers to Sudan’s Darfur region and promoting better governance through a peer review system of African countries.
Analysts say this could be undone by choosing Sudan as head when a 7,000-strong AU force is monitoring a shaky ceasefire in Darfur and when the government faces widespread criticism for its handling of the conflict there.
“We think it would be embarrassing even for Sudan itself to assume the chairmanship of the AU. We would hope that Sudan would realise this and withdraw its position,” told Reuters one southern African diplomat.
“This is creating divisions. We cannot support this for reasons that are open and very clear. Sudan cannot head the AU while the AU is dealing with Darfur.”
Some officials said the AU presidency could be chosen by a vote — which would be a first in the history of the organisation — but Mohamed Ibn Chambas, executive secretary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said heads of state should reach a consensus to avoid a split.
“We don’t think that this issue should be allowed to divide Africa,” he said.
(ST)