African Union and Darfur: the commitments
ADDIS ABABA, Aug 14 (AFP) — These are the commitments undertaken by the 53-member African Union (AU) in respect of Darfur, the region of western Sudan in which a civil war has been in progress since February 2003.
They follow the ceasefire agreement signed on April 8 in Ndjamena, capital of neighbouring Chad, by the Sudanese government and the two rebel movements and largely ignored since then.
According to the AU on that occasion all the parties to the conflict “invited the AU to reestablish peace in Darfur.”
CEASEFIRE OBSERVERS
The AU supervises the team of observers charged with determining whether or not the April 8 ceasefire is being respected.
The first observers were deployed in early June and there are now 120 on the ground.
In July they recorded eight ceasefire violations and condemned atrocities committed by the pro-government Janjaweed Arab militias. These included chaining civilians together and burning them alive at the beginning of the month.
The observer mission is made up of representatives of the AU, the two rebel groups active in Darfur, the Sudanese government, Chad which has a mediating role in the conflict, the European Union and the United States.
It reports to the ceasefire commission chaired by the AU.
PROTECTION FORCE
The AU decided in early July to send a 300-strong protection force to Darfur. On Saturday the first elements in the form of a dozen Rwandan soldiers and their equipment left Kigali for Darfur. The rest of the 150-strong Rwandan contingent is due to leave Sunday.
Its job is to protect the observers and “within the limits of its ability” the civilian populations, spread over a half a million square kilometres (193,000 square miles).
It should have been in place at the end of last month but financial and logistic problems delayed the deployment.
So far only Nigeria and Rwanda have agreed to contribute troops.
The European Union, the Netherlands and the United States have agreed to help with the transport of troops and provision of “subsistence”, in particular food, according to the AU.
PEACE KEEPING
The AU “envisages” eventually turning its protection force into a 2,000-strong “peacekeeping” force whose task it would be to protect both the observers and civilians.
The Sudanese government opposes the idea on the grounds that protection of the civilian population is its responsibility.
So far three countries have agreed to contribute: Nigeria has offered a battalion of about 770 men, Rwanda “as many as the AU wants” and Tanzania 100 men.
The idea of the peacekeeping force is still under study, the AU says, but it is “almost agreed”.
Any modification of its mandate and the numbers concerned would require approval from the AU’s peace and security council “by consensus or a two-thirds majority,” according to a senior AU official.
In addition the AU acts as a mediator in talks between the warring parties. These broke down in mid-July but are due to resume in August 23 in Darfur, according to the AU.