African panelists in Darfur to assess ways for justice and reconciliation

April 3, 2009 (EL FASHER) – The African Union High Level Panel on Darfur (AUPD) led by the former South African President Thabo Mbeki arrived in El Fasher, North Darfur, today to assess ways to achieve justice and reconciliation in the war torn region.

The panel which also compromises the former Burundian President Pierre Buyoya and former Nigerian President Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar is appointed following the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s decision on March 4 to issue a warrant of arrest for Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir for crimes against humanity and war crimes

Sudan rejected the ICC arrest warrant and urged the African state party to pull out of the war crimes courts to protest the decision while the AU asked the delay of the warrant for one year saying it would destabilize peace and security in Sudan and the region.

During a series of meeting with the governor Osman Kibir and the UNAMID leadership, Mbeki pointed out that the purpose of the visit is to interact with the Sudanese people with a view to determining what more can be done to achieve peace, justice and reconciliation.

The governor Kibir told the visiting delegation that the only way to solve the situation in Darfur was through negotiation and to include all Darfuris in the process.

The AUPD visited Abu Shouk camp for IDPs, near Al-Fasher, where they met with the leaders of the camp, and were briefed on the security and humanitarian situation in the camp.

The panel also met with the Civil Society Organizations in North Darfur and discussed ways of resolving the Darfur conflict and last month’s expulsion of the 13 Non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Immediately after the ICC decision against President Bashir last month, the Sudanese authorities ordered out 13 aid groups from the country. The evicted NGOs are accused of cooperation with the world court on Darfur war crimes.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appealed to Sudan to reverse its decision, taken in response to the ICC arrest warrant. The 13 NGOs aid an estimated 2.4 million IDPs besides two other million people in Darfur. The UN says the Sudanese decision cause irrevocable damage to humanitarian operations there.

The delegation was received by the UNAMID chief Rodolphe Adada, and the Governor of North Darfur upon arrival at El-Fasher airport.

(ST)