AUPD to submit recommendations on Darfur peace, justice
September 6, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The African Union Panel on Darfur (AUPD) is expected to finalize recommendations on Darfur peace talks, the institutions to be put in place to address issues of justice, former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who chairs the panel, said at a recent press conference in Khartoum.
Darfur, which constitutes the westernmost states of Sudan, is subject to international attention for atrocities allegedly committed in the region, most particularly in 2003 to 2004.
Sudan’s president is indicted as a war criminal, but he rejects the jurisdiction of the body that is seeking his arrest, the International Criminal Court (ICC). He has won strong backing from Arab and Islamic countries and the AU.
Peace, which has eluded the region since 2003, has been the subject of recent negotiations in Libya, Qatar, Ethiopia, and Egypt. Mbeki said that the AU Panel will make recommendations not only on who should participate in Darfur peace negotiations, but also on what agenda should be followed at the talks.
“We shall concentrate on the issue of who should participate in the negotiations to resolve the conflict… the question of who participates, and in what manner, are key questions for us to address.”
He also said, “There must also be negotiations about a global political agreement, which will need to involve people in addition to the belligerents.”
The former South African president was clear that the AU panel was weighing what should be on the table at Darfur peace talks,: “On the issue of the agenda of the negotiations, we shall also express ourselves. When negotiations are held towards a global political agreement, we need to consider what should be the agenda and what principles should be followed. We have discussed this with many people in Sudan and the Panel has to reflect upon this question.”
Likewise, Mbeki said that the AUPD will make recommendations about high profile issue of justice, but he did not give specifics: “The issue is, how justice can be done, and what judicial institutions should be in place? We will reflect on these issues.”
“Everyone agrees that justice needs to be done, the question is how. What institutions should address this challenge? The Panel will reflect upon the ICC as well as the actions of the domestic judiciary, within the context of producing an overall package.”
Mbeki went on to say that the three matters of peace, justice and reconciliation “must be dealt with as an interdependent whole.”
The full text of a summary of Mbeki’s remarks was published at Making Sense of Darfur, edited by Alex de Waal who is a British academic and a regional expert on issues pertaining to the Horn of Africa. The summary is available at: http://www.ssrc.org/blogs/darfur.
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Time1
AUPD to submit recommendations on Darfur peace, justice
Mbeki and his African panel group,Justice has to reach the people in Darfur beating around the bush will not solve this issue.AU panel should back the ICC to arrest el bashir and put him behind bars for good so Sudan can be a better country.
If justice has to be served externally or internally then a free and independent judiciary has to be formed and it has to have representatives from Darfur,sudan and international legal expert.It has to state clearly who are those to be brought to justice in this court,ofcourse the dictator omar el bashir the top criminal on the list has to stand trail first followed by the other fugitives in his government.
Darfur people are suffering under this Arab dictatorship,they need international support,the racists Arabs are now saying that they OWN the darfuris people and will not leave them alone or give them any rights,just wait and see if Darfur will get any justice soon.
one of this Arab man in khartoum called osman mohammed hassen who is an NCP supporterwas telling me yesterday that a southerners better be a president than a Darfur,he said khalil Ibrahim and El Nur are both worshippers of jews and that Darfuris deserve death.he claims Darfur belongs to Arabs and all darfur women belongs to Arabs too,you can see a clear divide between darfuris and Arabs in khartoum this days,he says all Darfuris came from chad and settle there in Sudan so they will not compromise on Darfur.i asked him why muslim killing muslim in Darfur,he said Darfuris are not real muslims according to his standards,i was very disappointed with the man.but i want to say Darfur do not give up easily keep the fight.is this the talk of someone who wants peace?anyway i will be back with more from khartoum here.
Kur
AUPD to submit recommendations on Darfur peace, justice
We will wait and see what kind of justice system this panel puts forward to address the crimes commmitted in Darfur. Giving exit to war criminals by proposing domestics trials would just be a waste of time. So Mbeki must know this that domestic justice in Sudan is not an option as there is no competent justice system in Sudan. The crimes that are important to Bashir’s courts are the issues related to indecent dressing for women and alcohol abuse.
Kur
Khalid abdullah
AUPD to submit recommendations on Darfur peace, justice
look i want mr basher to go to hell, the man he is destroyed sudan may be all sudanes will be happy if he lost the elections,as an arab in north sudan i am tierd of this omar basher the way he kills beople and has no democracy in all sudan.
Samson Shawel Ambaye
AUPD to submit recommendations on Darfur peace, justice
God be with ICC UNSC and victims of Darfur. Genocide crimes of Bashir has already been judged by ICC. Let’s not be wasting time by going to AUDP. AUDP genocide victims of Darfur are Africans and their death future must not be less important than arrest of Bashir.
Bashir is already under arrest warrant and he has to go to the Hague for his arrest.
Mbeki and AUDP are wrong for being obstacle for ICC.