New AU panel to advise on Darfur

ADDIS ABABA, Wednesday

The African Union has created a special panel on Darfur with the mandate of examining the situation there and identifying ways to end the crisis in the Sudan region.

The new panel, chaired by former South African president Thabo Mbeki, was launched Wednesday at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa. The panel includes former presidents of Nigeria and Burundi and other eminent personalities across the continent

The panellists are expected to give advice to the AU on the Darfur crisis.

International experts say at least 200,000 people have been killed in Darfur region, a mainly desert region in western Sudan, while Sudan government headed by President Hassan Omar al-Bashir says 10,000 have died. The conflict, which has displaced more than 2.7 million people, flared when mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against the government in 2003.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant on the Sudanese President March 4, this year for the war crimes in Darfur.

The warrant immediately immediately sparked off protests against the ICC decision in Khartoum. The Sudan government has since expelled foreign aid groups from the country, because, according to Mr Bashir, they "threatened the security of Sudan" and helped the International Criminal Court issue his arrest warrant for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.

Fight impunity

Speaking during the inauguration, the panel's chair, Mr Mbeki, said the AU had mandated the group to suggest ways of ensuring accountability and fighting impunity in Darfur.

“A culture of impunity will not be permitted to take root and entrench itself,” he said.

AU acting chairperson Mrs Elizabeth Tankeu said the international community, including the United Nations Security Council, lacked appropriate understanding on issues concerning Darfur and was very ignorant about the ongoing peace process.

"The international community should have a better understanding the situation on the ground, which may help in seeking appropriate solutions," Mrs Tankeu said.

The panel plans to visit Sudan soon to gather additional information from the ground before making recommendations.

A Sudanese government delegation at the panel's inauguration in Addis Ababa expressed Khartoum regime's commitment in cooperating with the new team.