AU seeks to punish human rights violators in Darfur

ABUJA, March 8 (AFP) — The African Union (AU) wants to punish perpetrators of human rights violations in Sudan’s western Darfur region but the continental body has yet to find a concensus on the issue, officials said Tuesday.

“In his capacity as the AU chairman, Nigeria’s President Olusegun Obasanjo wishes to state that the AU is still actively seeking an acceptable means of bringing to book the culprits in violations of human rights in Darfur, to achieve justice and reconciliation in Sudan’s western region,” presidential spokeswoman Remi Oyo told AFP.

“Obasanjo also wishes to state that no consensus has been reached in the AU with the government of Sudan in the matter and there has been no agreement with the UN Security Council on it,” she said.

“Obasanjo affirms that when a position is accepted as the AU position, it will be harmonised with the view of the UN Security Council,” said Oyo.

She recalled that the separate meetings Obasanjo held recently with Sudanese authorities in Abuja are yet to achieve desired goals of reaching an accord.

Darfur has since February 2003 in the throes of a civil war and a serious humanitarian crisis, claiming more than 70,000 lives and making 1.6 million homeless or refugees.

The civil populations in Darfur have since the start of the crisis been victims of serious human rights violations, including rape, assassinations or forceful displacements.

The United States have even affirmed that “genocide” was going on in Darfur, a term not accepted by the United Nations.