Why AU peacekeepers should lead in Darfur
By Melha Rout Biel*
July 21, 2006 — The ongoing political, military and social crisis in Darfur is a human tragedy which must be brought to an end as soon as possible. The warring parties in Sudan, along with the Government of National Unity, have the responsibility and the ability to end the conflict, together with their international partners and the peace-loving world. The Government of National Unity, the National Congress Party and the Sudan People Liberation Movement should be aware of their responsibility to the Sudanese people and have the courage to work together to resolve their differences and find a common position in addressing both the crises in Darfur and Eastern Sudan and the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of January 2005. This is no time to go to war, but to work hand in hand to establish the “New Sudan” of equality and justice and humanise the country, so that all various groups and citizens in all corners of Sudan feel that they are part of the great Sudanese nation. The support given by the African Union to assist the Sudanese in creating a lasting peace in Darfur should be supported not only by the international community, but most importantly by Liberation Movements in Darfur and by the Darfurian people as a whole. The fear of some Darfurians that the African Union will not end their suffering is in fact unfounded. The international community and western countries in particular should give more support to the African Forces, for example in the form of radios and helicopters so that they can do their job in Darfur. Other continents should only support the African Union’s task in Darfur until it convenes the parties to sign a peace agreement. Africans should not be seen or made as unable to resolve their problems by themselves. Despite the current political fragmentation in Africa, African nations should be allowed and encouraged to address their issues on their own. If they receive support from other continents, African nations still should always take the lead. The former colonial mentality that Africans cannot work together or solve their problems on their own but require intervention from somewhere else, should be eliminated in the minds of our people. To summarise the issue: African Union peacekeepers (AUMIS) should not withdraw in Darfur even after December 2006, but should join forces with the UN forces in the region and work for peace there. For how long should Africans be dependent on foreign forces? Some people were blaming the AUMIS for not being able to protect or bring peace to Darfur. However, everyone knows that the conflict in Sudan and, in this case, Darfur is not an easy one to address. Even the UN forces will not find it easy to end the crisis there, if the National Congress Party and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), as well as the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), are not willing to end the crisis.
The SLM and JEM are advised to reshape their policy toward the African Union. They cannot claim to be African and still deny the positive role played by the Union in the Darfur crisis.
How can the crisis be ended?
The conflict can be resolved if, among other things, the following measures are agreed upon by the Sudanese Parties:
Most of the demands made by the SLM and JEM should be reconsidered and guaranteed.
The Darfurians could be awarded the second vice presidency of the Sudan. This could be enacted after a three-year interim period. After the signing of a peace agreement, the Darfur could be represented by an Assistant President, who might be the governor of the Darfur Regional Authority.
After three years, the President of Sudan should be led by a Sudanese coming from another Sudan region as part of a rotation presidency. JEM and SLM have already suggested that a Southern Sudanese act as an interim President whose duty during his term of office should be to prepare for an all-parties General Conference to lay down principles for what could become the “New Sudan” which John Garang and others called for in the past twenty-two years.
During the current Interim Period, the Darfurians could be given seats in the Parliament by the National Congress Party, which controls 52% of the seats.
The NCP could also relieve some of their ministerial positions and give the rest to Darfurians. According to the CPA, the NCP have 52% of all government positions. This is too much for one party; if we are trying to establish a fair system in Sudan, where all citizens and groups need to share in the government for the aims of peace and stability in Sudan.
If Darfur could not, for one reason or another, be awarded the post of Assistant President, they could instead be awarded the post of speaker of the Sudanese Parliament.
In the coming peace negotiations the SPLM should take a leading role in creating peace in Darfur. This can happen if the National Congress gives its partner the SPLM a green light to do so. Because they are partners, both the SPLM and the National Congress could benefit from any success achieved by one of the parties. There have been some reports which claim that SPLM delegations did not play a positive role in the Abuja negotiations which led to the signing of the “Darfur Peace Agreement” on May 5, 2006. The SPLM should correct this and make sure that the Darfurians’ trust in the South as a figure for peace and freedom for all the marginalised people of the Sudan, including the far north, is kept alive. If the SPLM corrects or makes clear its policy toward the Darfur, there is still a trust that peace negotiations led by the SPLM, as major coalition partner of the NCP, could bring peace to Darfur sooner rather than later.
* The Author is a political scientist and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences in Erfurt Germany. He teaches International Dimensions in Social Work and Social Education. Biel is the Author of “African Kids between Warlords, Child Soldiers and Living on the Street, Causes, Effects and Solution: The cases of Sudan, Uganda, Zambia and Kenya”, New York, Oxford, Berlin 2004. He can be reached at [email protected]