African Union preparing observer mission for western Sudan to monitor cease-fire

KAMPALA, Uganda, April 28, 2004 (AP) — The African Union has begun drawing observers from six countries to monitor a cease-fire between government-backed militias and rebels in western Sudan , a top security official said Wednesday.

Said Djinnit, the AU commissioner for security, told reporters in Uganda’s capital that Namibia, Senegal and Ghana would supply the initial observers with more coming later from Algeria and Mozambique. He said that they would start soon.

“We are concerned about the grim situation facing civilians in Darfur, but since we have not a mechanism to verify the violence, we have not been able to get to who is responsible,” the former Algerian diplomat said.

The African Union replaced the Organization of African Unity in 2002 and is loosely modeled on the European Union. The AU, which is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has a more aggressive mandate to deal with conflicts that its predecessor.

“As Africans we feel ashamed of hosting all these conflicts,” Djinnit said. “We want to prevent conflicts…the AU will not remain indifferent.”

While in Uganda, Djinnit met with officials to discuss the 18-year insurrection in northern Uganda and how the AU can help facilitate talks between the government and the Lord’s Resistance Army.

“We feel that peace efforts are needed,” Djinnit said. “The AU will be supportive of efforts for an early solution to the conflict using dialogue.”