Arab rights groups call on Mideast leaders to help guide Sudan

March 22, 2010 (CAIRO) – A coalition of Arab rights groups from 20 countries called on the Arab League to “show leadership on Sudan” by getting involved during the potentially volatile upcoming year of elections and referenda.

The groups ask the Arab states to take steps like prioritizing a ceasefire in Darfur and supporting the inclusion of Arab civil society in monitoring elections and the upcoming referenda.

The call comes prior to the Arab Summit, to be held on March 26, 2010 in Seret, Libya, in an open letter addressed and delivered to Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa.

The letter comes out of a meeting more than 100 civil society organizations in Morocco, held March 6-7, 2010. It reminds the Arab leaders that during 2009 more than 2,500 people were killed in South Sudan and 391,400 displaced while in Darfur there were 40,000 new displacements in recent weeks and at least 60% of the population continues to require humanitarian assistance.

Moataz El Fegiery, Executive Director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, said that the letter signals civil society organizations’ concern throughout the Arab world. “We call on the Arab League to act now before the situation in Sudan becomes irreparable,” he said.

“There is a window of opportunity to prevent the horrors of war from returning and forestall an escalation of the humanitarian crisis,” the letter states, “but it is closing fast. The governments of the Arab world have a responsibility to ensure peace in Sudan given that their fates are intertwined and that regional stability must be preserved.”

In its specifics, the letter asks to ensure that Darfuris returning to “model villages” are doing so voluntarily and securely. It asks that the recommendations of the African Union High Level Panel of ex-South African President Thabo Mbeki are implemented, including addressing impunity in Darfur. And it asks that the peacekeeping forces in Sudan engage in contingency planning for the months ahead.

Albaqir Al Mukhtar, Director of Al-Khatim Adlan Centre for Enlightenment and Human Development in Khartoum said that “The League, which is one of the oldest regional inter-governmental organizations in the world, must show it is able to address one of the most important challenges of our time in order to have credibility and respectability among the Arab population in general and the people of Sudan in particular.”

Another activist, Zahir Hilal, Coordinator of the Arab Coalition for Darfur, said that the upcoming elections in Sudan pose a “great opportunity” to attain peace and stability Sudan.

Among the signatories are: the National Organization for Human Rights – Syria; Moroccan Bada’il Forum; Iraqi Network for Human Rights Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights; Sudanese Children Society; Lebanese Association for Transparency; Association Créations Formations Initiatives Maroc; Tadamon Council network – Egypt; Kuwaiti Society for Human Rights; National Council for Liberties – Tunisia; National Committee for Human Rights – Qatar; Emirati Society for Human Rights – United Arab Emirates.

On Sunday, the Organization of the Islamic Conference hosted a donor meeting in Cairo. The state of Qatar pledged $200 million for rehabilitation of Darfur and overall the event raised US $841 million.

That figure fell about $1.2 billion short of the fundraising target, since Western delegations refrained from making commitments citing security concerns. Western powers are pushing Darfur rebels to sign and the government to sign final peace deals before the April 11 elections.

(ST)