African Union hails 5th anniversary of Sudan peace agreement

January 10, 2009 (ADDIS ABABA) — The African Union hailed the fifth anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in a statement Saturday, voicing confidence that the Sudanese people “have the capacity to seize this historic opportunity to triumph over the seemingly bitter divisions among them, and avail their country new opportunities to redefine their common identity on the basis of shared values, including unity amid diversity.”

“On this auspicious occasion, the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Jean Ping, congratulates the people of Sudan and the Government of National Unity for this historic achievement,” stated a communiqué dated January 9.

“Not only does the Agreement remain as a landmark event in bringing an end to the longest running civil war in Africa, but it is also a possible model successfully to manage the diversity characteristic of virtually all African states, based on respect for the principle and practice of unity in diversity,” the statement read.

The main AU involvement in Sudan is its role in peacekeeping in Darfur, which is a joint mission with the United Nations. Additionally, a high-level panel of the continental body, headed by former South African president Thabo Mbeki, last year embarked on an initiative to make formal recommendations on peace and justice in Darfur.

In Saturday’s communiqué the AU also hailed “important achievements” made since the 2005 agreement, including the establishment of national and regional institutions, security arrangements, and the permanent ceasefire.

“With this anniversary, Sudan, this microcosm of Africa, is also entering one of the most critical phases of its history, with the holding of general elections, currently scheduled for April 2010, as well as the Referendum on self-determination for Southern Sudan, slated for January 2011. These are national sovereign decisions that have been taken by the people of Sudan, enshrined in the Interim National Constitution adopted after the conclusion of the CPA,” it stated.

The AU approach toward Sudan, the statement said, will be guided by the Report of the AU High Level Panel on Darfur (AUPD), adopted in Abuja last October. This report recommended that the belligerents in Darfur commit to a ceasefire, and urged specific steps toward a military ceasefire and a political solution. For instance, the panel recommended that the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur provide non-military logistical assistance to the rebels, as well as training in ceasefire operations to rebel commanders.

Also prominent among the recommendations of the AU High Level Panel was the suggestion that the gravest crimes committed in Darfur be investigated by a proposed new “Hybrid Criminal Court” of Sudanese and foreign judges. Sudan rejected that proposal.

Sudan has now entered the final year of the six year interim period from the signing of the agreement to the 2011 referendum on the independence of Southern Sudan. A number of key political events are anticipated in advance of that landmark decision, including negotiations over post-referendum economic and military arrangements, and the April 2010 nationwide elections.

(ST)